Former OPEC president Diezani Alison-Madueke appeared in a London court on Monday, ahead of her full trial on bribery charges relating to her time as Nigeria’s oil minister. Preliminary proceedings, including technical matters and jury selection, began this week, with Alison-Madueke in attendance. Alison-Madueke, who was in office from 2010 to 2015, was the first woman oil minister in Nigeria and the first female president of the global oil cartel OPEC. “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 trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 26 and is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.

Source: Punch January 19, 2026 19:49 UTC