Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Monday appeared before a Southwark Crown Court in London for the preliminary hearing of her bribery trial.

65-year-old Alison-Madueke, who served from 2010 to 2015, was the first woman oil minister in Nigeria and the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The case was listed on the cause list for Court 8 before Justice Thornton, and the preliminary hearing included technical matters and jury selection ahead of her full trial, scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026.

She has been on bail since her first arrest in London in October 2015, but has denied all six charges.

The former minister attended Monday’s preliminary hearing in person.

Alison-Madueke was formally charged in 2023 by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) for accepting bribes between 2011 and 2015.

“We suspect Diezani Alison-Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts,” the NCA said at the time.

The indictment states Alison-Madueke received at least £100,000 ($134,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, and use of multiple London properties.

The charges also include financial rewards such as furniture, renovation work, and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from designer shops.

The trial is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.

Two others are also facing bribery charges related to the case: Doye Agama, who appeared via video link, and Olatimbo Ayinde, who was present in court. (TRIBUNE)