UK destroyed my reputation, integrity, Alison-Madueke

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has strongly criticized the United Kingdom's authorities, alleging they destroyed her reputation and integrity through a protracted and ultimately failed corruption prosecution. Alison-Madueke was acquitted on Wednesday by a jury at London's Southwark Crown Court, concluding a case that spanned more than a decade.

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I’ve not been allowed to travel. I’ve not been allowed to work. They destroyed my reputation and my integrity.

Alison-Madueke faced five counts of accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit bribery, stemming from a 13-year investigation by the UK's National Crime Agency. Speaking after her acquittal, she described the process as "painful and traumatic," detailing how the legal proceedings prevented her from traveling and working. "They destroyed my reputation and my integrity," she told the BBC.

The former minister, who served from 2010 to 2015 and was the first female president of OPEC, emphasized the significant psychological toll the case had taken. "When your freedom is taken away from you, it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically," she stated, adding, "I knew that I had never done anything nefarious and I had never done any of the heinous things I was being accused of doing."

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When your freedom is taken away from you, it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically.

Alison-Madueke, who was initially arrested in 2015 but only charged in 2023, claimed that crucial documents supporting her defense had gone missing in Nigeria. She asserted these documents, including receipts for reimbursements of payments made on her behalf, were taken from her Abuja residence by intelligence forces in 2015.

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I knew that I had never done anything nefarious and I had never done any of the heinous things I was being accused of doing.

She also voiced criticism towards both Nigerian and British authorities for their handling of the investigation and prosecution. "There’s a bit of blame everywhere," she remarked, urging Nigerian authorities to review their investigative processes. Alison-Madueke suggested that international law enforcement agencies should exercise greater caution, especially in politically sensitive cases, advocating for more sensitivity in their long reach across borders. She also speculated that her position and influence as the first female petroleum minister and OPEC head in a "very misogynistic society" might have made her a target.

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There’s a bit of blame everywhere.