Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared before Southwark Crown Court in London yesterday for a preliminary hearing in her bribery trial.

Court proceedings, presided over by Justice Thornton in Court 8, addressed technical matters ahead of the full trial scheduled to start on January 26, 2026. Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s first female oil minister and the first female OPEC president from 2010 to 2015, has been on bail since her 2015 arrest in London and has denied six charges brought against her.

The charges, filed by the UK’s National Crime Agency in 2023, allege that Alison-Madueke received at least £100,000 in cash, private jets, chauffeur-driven cars, multiple London properties, and other benefits in exchange for awarding lucrative contracts.

Two co-defendants, Doye Agama and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also facing bribery charges linked to the case, with Agama appearing via video link and Ayinde present in court. The trial is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.