Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, has been charged with bribery-related offenses by British authorities. The charges relate to multi-million pound oil and gas contracts that she allegedly approved for personal gain while holding office.
Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was granted Dominica citizenship in 2016, including a diplomatic passport number DP0000445, apparently all within just one month of meeting Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
Alison-Madueke’s Dominica citizenship was confirmed in a May 29, 2015 approval letter by Roosevelt Skerrit. The letter also stated that the former minister had been appointed a trade and investment commissioner and was expected to help in promoting and marketing Dominica as a trade and investment domicile.
The International Corruption Unit (ICU) of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested Alison-Madueke and four others on October 2 on suspicion of bribery and money laundering.
During her term as Nigeria’s oil minister (2010-2015), it was alleged that around US$20 billion of oil money had gone missing. Numerous corruption investigations were conducted, including by the Nigerian Senate, regarding these charges against Alison-Madueke. The NCA had been investigating her since 2013. While no charges stuck in Nigeria, and she denied any wrongdoing, these allegations raised concerns during the vetting process for her citizenship and diplomatic role.
The NCA’s investigators claim that Alison-Madueke, 63, benefited by up to £100,000 (approximately US$127,000) in illicit gains during her tenure as Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015.
In addition to cash, the alleged bribes included private jet flights, luxury vacations, and other undisclosed gifts. The NCA’s Head of the International Corruption Unit, Andy Kelly, stated that they suspect Alison-Madueke “abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts”.
This move by the NCA is part of a long-standing, multi-national investigation into Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption. The investigation has resulted in the freezing of assets worth millions of pounds and the recovery of US$53.1 million by the US Department of Justice.
In March, American prosecutors claimed that proceeds from energy contracts that Alison-Madueke allegedly illicitly awarded—totaling over US$100 million—were laundered through the luxury real estate market in the US. The funds were also allegedly used to acquire a 65-meter superyacht where Beyoncé celebrated her 32nd birthday.
NCA agents have cooperated with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which led to two Nigerian election officials receiving prison sentences in 2019. The EFCC argued that these officials were part of a scheme with Alison-Madueke to use $115 million in bribes to manipulate Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election.
Alison-Madueke, currently residing in London’s affluent St John’s Wood neighborhood, is scheduled to appear before the Westminster Magistrates Court on October 2.
