A London court has acquitted former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of bribery-related charges brought against her by the United Kingdom authorities.

The Southwark Crown Court discharged and acquitted Alison-Madueke after a jury cleared her of all six counts following more than 46 hours of deliberation.

The former minister had been accused by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) of accepting bribes in exchange for influencing the award of multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts during her tenure.

She was arraigned alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama. All three pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Alison-Madueke benefited from luxury items, high-end properties and other advantages provided by individuals seeking favourable treatment in Nigeria’s oil sector.

The prosecution had claimed that Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko spent millions of pounds on luxury goods and properties linked to the former minister.

However, Alison-Madueke’s defence argued that she had limited authority over oil contract approvals, noting that major decisions in the sector involved multiple agencies and were largely handled through established processes.

The defence also maintained that the operational control of the petroleum sector rested mainly with the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, while the ministry performed oversight functions.

The court proceedings also featured a written statement from former President Goodluck Jonathan, who told the court that it was not unusual for third parties to make payments on behalf of ministers on official foreign trips.

The acquittal brings to an end the UK criminal case against the former minister, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015.