BREAKING: UK Court Clears Diezani Alison-Madueke of All Bribery Charges

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been cleared of all six bribery-related charges by a UK court after a lengthy trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

A jury on Wednesday returned a not guilty verdict after 12 weeks of hearings and about 46 hours of deliberation, acquitting the former minister of five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Alison-Madueke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, consistently denied all allegations throughout the proceedings.

Allegations Against Diezani

Prosecutors had accused the former minister of receiving illicit benefits from oil and gas industry figures in exchange for facilitating favourable contract decisions in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector during her tenure as petroleum minister.

They alleged that she lived an extravagant lifestyle in London and benefitted from cash gifts, luxury shopping, private jet travel, chauffeur-driven vehicles, and high-end property improvements.

The prosecution told the court that the alleged benefits included about £100,000 in cash, more than £2 million spent at Harrods, around £4.6 million in property refurbishments, and payments covering household staff for luxury residences in London and Buckinghamshire.

READ ALSO:

• Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation
• Woman Sentenced to Death for Supplying Ammunition to Bandits in Katsina
• Three Records, One Night: Messi’s Hat-Trick Powers Argentina Past Algeria

Defence Argument

Diezani, however, denied all wrongdoing, telling the court that she never requested, solicited, or received any bribes.

Her legal team argued that the allegations were based on misinterpretations of financial transactions and that the case was influenced by political motivations. They maintained that no direct evidence linked her to any bribery agreement.

Court Ruling

The case was presided over by Justice Justine Thornton and focused on alleged offences said to have occurred between 2011 and 2015, during her time as Nigeria’s petroleum minister.

If convicted, Alison-Madueke faced up to 10 years in prison under the UK Bribery Act, alongside unlimited financial penalties.

She was tried alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother Doye Agama, who also faced related bribery and conspiracy charges. Both co-defendants denied the allegations and were equally acquitted.

Significance of the Verdict

The ruling marks the end of a high-profile international corruption trial that had drawn significant attention across Nigeria and the United Kingdom due to its link to alleged misconduct in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

Legal observers say the acquittal may influence related asset recovery and corruption proceedings in other jurisdictions, although no further legal action has been confirmed.

Diezani has faced multiple corruption allegations since leaving office in 2015 but has consistently maintained her innocence.

BREAKING: UK Court Clears Diezani Alison-Madueke of All Bribery Charges

Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has denied allegations that he accused members of the Senate of forging signatures during the process that led to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, insisting that his remarks on the matter were misrepresented.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District said comments he made during an appearance on AIT’s Politics Today were wrongly interpreted, creating the false impression that he questioned the authenticity of signatures attached to a Senate committee report.

According to Oshiomhole, he never alleged that any senator’s signature was forged during the proceedings that culminated in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension.

“The insinuation that I said signatures of senators were forged is a complete misrepresentation of what I actually said,” the former Edo State governor stated.

The senator emphasized that he fully agreed with Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu that no senator’s signature was forged in the process leading to the suspension of the Kogi Central lawmaker.

Oshiomhole explained that no senator had approached him with complaints about forged signatures. Rather, the only point he raised during the television interview was a claim allegedly made by a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.

According to him, the committee member had suggested that signatures from an attendance register may have been attached to the committee’s final report, a claim that differs from allegations of outright forgery.

“The only comment I made is that one senator, who is a member of the committee, claimed that the signatures of attendance of some senators were attached to the final report,” Oshiomhole said.

READ ALSO:

• Woman Sentenced to Death for Supplying Ammunition to Bandits in Katsina
• Three Records, One Night: Messi’s Hat-Trick Powers Argentina Past Algeria
• World Cup 2026: Why Saudi Arabia’s Flag Cannot Touch the Ground

“Any suggestion to the effect that I alleged that any senator’s signature was forged is completely untrue and should be disregarded.”

The controversy emerged after reports circulated claiming that Oshiomhole had questioned the authenticity of signatures contained in the committee report that recommended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension. The reports triggered reactions within the Senate and fueled public debate over the circumstances surrounding the disciplinary action.

Oshiomhole further clarified that the issue arose during a discussion on claims by the programme’s interviewer that Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele had described the Natasha suspension controversy as “the lowest point of the three years of the 10th Senate.”

Responding to that assertion during the interview, Oshiomhole said that if Bamidele indeed made such a statement, it deserved serious consideration because the Senate Leader was not known for making frivolous remarks.

The senator, however, maintained that the matter had since been resolved and that the Senate had moved on from the controversy.

The suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan remains one of the most talked-about issues in the 10th Senate. The Kogi Central senator was suspended following recommendations by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions after a dispute involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The development sparked widespread reactions from political stakeholders, legal experts and civil society groups, with debates continuing over the legality and implications of the suspension.

Seeking to put the matter to rest, Oshiomhole reiterated that no senator informed him that any signature had been forged and expressed regret over any misunderstanding that may have arisen from his comments.

“Finally, I regret if my comments may have caused embarrassment to any senator or the 10th Senate as an institution,” he said.

His clarification is expected to ease tensions generated by the controversy and reinforce the Senate leadership’s position that due process was followed in handling the suspension case.

Oshiomhole Clarifies Remarks on Natasha Suspension, Denies Forgery Allegation

Woman Sentenced to Death for Supplying Ammunition to Bandits in Katsina

A Katsina State High Court has sentenced a woman, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging after convicting her of conspiracy to commit terrorism and aiding terrorist activities by supplying ammunition to bandits operating in northwestern Nigeria.

The judgment was delivered by Justice A. B. Bawale of High Court No. 3 in Katsina after the court found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through witness testimonies and documentary evidence presented during the trial.

Mukhtar, described by security agencies as a female arms courier, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina State on September 16, 2023. She was allegedly caught while attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition intended for a suspected bandit kingpin identified as Ado, who reportedly operates from the notorious Dunburum Forest in Zamfara State.

According to court documents, the DSS launched an investigation after receiving intelligence about the movement of ammunition to criminal groups responsible for attacks, kidnappings, and other violent crimes across parts of the North-West.

READ ALSO:

• World Cup 2026: Why Saudi Arabia’s Flag Cannot Touch the Ground
• DHQ: Troops Rescue 398 Kidnap Victims, Arrest 31 Terrorists in One Week
• Rapper Mystikal Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Rape Charge

Following her arrest, the DSS arraigned Mukhtar on a two-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and aiding terrorist activities. During the proceedings, prosecutors presented exhibits and testimonies linking her to the transportation of ammunition allegedly destined for armed groups operating in the region.

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Bawale ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the charges against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. The court subsequently convicted Mukhtar and sentenced her to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Katsina State Penal Code Law, 2021.

Security analysts have described the conviction as a significant step in efforts to dismantle the supply chains that sustain banditry and terrorism in northern Nigeria. Authorities have increasingly targeted not only armed gang leaders but also individuals involved in procuring, transporting, and distributing weapons and ammunition to criminal networks.

The judgment comes amid intensified security operations against armed groups operating across Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, and parts of Niger State, where bandit attacks and mass kidnappings have remained major security concerns.

The case also follows other recent terrorism-related convictions secured by Nigerian authorities. In May, a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced another female suspect, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to possessing hundreds of rounds of ammunition allegedly meant for terrorist elements.

Similarly, a Federal High Court recently convicted four men linked to the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, highlighting ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to prosecute individuals connected to terrorism and violent crimes.

The conviction of Hauwa’u Mukhtar is expected to reinforce the government’s resolve to crack down on the logistics networks that enable bandits and terrorist groups to acquire weapons and sustain their operations across the country.

Woman Sentenced to Death for Supplying Ammunition to Bandits in Katsina