By Micah Jonah
January 30, 2026
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke, had no real authority over the award of Nigeria’s oil and gas contracts, merely acted on recommendations made by civil servants, her lawyer told a UK court on Thursday.
According to a report by Reuters, defence counsel Jonathan Laidlaw made the submission at the Southwark Crown Court, where Alison Madueke is standing trial over corruption allegations. He urged jurors to consider whether the former minister had any actual influence on contract awards or whether she functioned only as a “rubber stamp” endorsing decisions taken by officials within the ministry.
Laidlaw argued that during her tenure between 2010 and 2015, Alison Madueke did not control the allocation of lucrative oil blocks and contracts, insisting that the decision making process was handled by career civil servants.
The former Minister has pleaded not guilty to five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The trial, which began earlier this month, is expected to continue until April.
Prosecutors allege that Alison Madueke lived a life of luxury in London, benefiting from expensive properties, shopping sprees and gifts allegedly provided by oil industry figures seeking favourable treatment in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
However, her lawyer countered that many of the expenses cited by prosecutors were reimbursed, noting that Nigerian Ministers were not permitted to hold foreign bank accounts. He added that personal expenses were refunded in Nigeria, while costs related to official duties were covered by government funds.
Laidlaw told the court that Alison Madueke did not personally profit from the arrangements, stressing that any financial benefit was tied to enabling her to carry out official responsibilities.
The defence also questioned why other individuals allegedly involved in the matter had neither been charged nor extradited to the United Kingdom.
Alison Madueke is standing trial alongside her brother, Doye Agama, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde. Both men have denied the charges brought against them.
As previously reported, the former Minister has consistently denied abusing her office to influence oil and gas contract awards, maintaining that she acted within the limits of her official role throughout her time in office.
