Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has claimed that her anti-corruption drive in Nigeria’s oil sector and the powerful interests it disrupted contributed to the legal troubles that followed her after office.
She spoke in an interview with the BBC shortly after a London court cleared her of bribery allegations.
The former minister said the UK’s National Crime Agency, National Crime Agency, failed to properly understand the complexities of Nigeria’s oil industry before bringing the case against her.
According to her, she was treated as “low-hanging fruit” while her efforts to sanitise the oil sector and confront entrenched interests were ignored.
“I wish they had taken a step back and looked with a little more depth at the actual truth of the situation on ground,” she said, insisting that her reforms created enemies within powerful oil networks.
She also argued that being the first female to serve as petroleum minister and head of OPEC exposed her to added hostility in a “misogynistic environment”.
The former minister, who served under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan between 2010 and 2015, was last week discharged at Southwark Crown Court after being cleared of five bribery counts and one conspiracy charge.
The BBC interview followed her acquittal alongside her brother, Doye Agama, and oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, ending a long-running case that had drawn international attention.
Alison-Madueke also raised concerns over missing documents allegedly seized from her Abuja residence in 2015, insisting they contained evidence of reimbursements tied to her defence.
She further admitted that responsibility for the failed prosecution was “shared across board”, calling for improved sensitivity and process reforms in cross-border corruption investigations.
Observers say the case leaves lingering questions about Nigeria’s oil governance, international prosecution standards, and the politics that often trail high-profile corruption trials abroad.
