• Former Nigerian oil minister faces corruption charges in the United Kingdom

• Preliminary hearing held ahead of trial scheduled for January 26, 2026

• Case adds to multiple asset recovery and legal actions in Nigeria and abroad

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported this week that Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum and a former president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), appeared before Southwark Crown Court in London. The appearance took place as part of a preliminary hearing ahead of her trial on corruption and bribery charges.

According to AFP, the preliminary hearings focused on technical matters and jury selection, ahead of the trial scheduled to open on January 26, 2026. This marked the first court appearance since the case was formally brought.

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) charged Alison-Madueke in August 2023, alleging that she received at least £100,000 (about $125,000) in bribes and other benefits, including chauffeur-driven cars, private flights, and the use of properties, in connection with oil contracts.

The first woman to lead OPEC, Alison-Madueke is also the subject of several other legal proceedings involving assets separate from the UK case. In January 2025, the United States and Nigeria agreed to repatriate $52.88 million in seized assets linked to corruption investigations involving Alison-Madueke and associates, according to official statements from both governments.

Earlier, in May 2023, Ecofin Agency, citing Nigerian local media, reported that Alison-Madueke had filed a defamation lawsuit. She alleged that Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and judicial authorities had obstructed court proceedings for more than eight years, according to those reports.

In October 2022, a Nigerian court ordered the “final” seizure of several assets belonging to the former minister, including two houses and multiple vehicles, valued at about $3 million, as part of corruption and public funds misappropriation cases, based on details provided by the EFCC.

Abdel-Latif Boureima