Former Nigerian Oil Minister Granted Bail in UK Bribery Case

A London court has granted bail to former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is facing bribery charges filed by the UK government. District Judge Michael Snow imposed several conditions for her bail, including a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., wearing an electronic tag, and a 70,000-pound surety.

Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria's petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015, is accused of accepting bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, flights on private jets, and the use of high-end properties in return for awarding oil contracts. Her next court appearance is scheduled for October 30 at Southwark Crown Court. She has denied the charges.

Alison-Madueke, who was also the president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), faced corruption allegations related to her time in office in Nigeria, and her activities were scrutinized by the government. The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sought her extradition to Nigeria, but the UK government had previously been accused of shielding her from trial.

She is the second high-profile Nigerian politician to face prosecution in Britain in recent years, following James Ibori, a former state governor who was convicted of fraud and money-laundering in 2012 and received a 13-year jail sentence.