Diezani Alison-Madueke

Petroleum minister 2010–2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan; first female president of OPEC. Stands trial at Southwark Crown Court (London) on a five-count UK Bribery Act charge alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother Doye Agama, accused of accepting £11.5m in benefits from oil businessmen in exchange for contract advantages. The trial — the culmination of a decade-long UK NCA International Corruption Unit investigation — opened 27 January 2026; closing arguments closed 13 May 2026; the jury is now considering its verdict. All three defendants plead not guilty. Defence counsel Jonathan Laidlaw KC attacked the prosecution's evidence chain and the NCA's preservation of materials; lead prosecutor Alexandra Healy reiterated that some oil executives provided improper benefits while their companies benefited from contracts she supervised. A verdict is expected 'in the coming days'.