By Muhammad Mamman
Former Nigerian oil minister and one-time president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been accused by British prosecutors of splurging the equivalent of over ₦4 billion in London’s elite retail district as part of a lavish lifestyle allegedly funded by oil industry figures seeking government contracts. 
At Southwark Crown Court this week, Crown prosecutors told jurors that Mrs Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources from 2010 to 2015, spent more than £2 million at Harrods, the iconic Knightsbridge department store. They said the luxury shopping sprees were paid for using the payment card of a Nigerian businessman and the debit card of his company, Tenka Limited, both linked to individuals with interests in Nigerian oil and gas contracts. 
The court heard that this level of expenditure was just one facet of a “life of luxury” enjoyed by the former minister while resident in the UK, including access to high-end properties, a chauffeur-driven car, private jet flights and the services of domestic staff such as a housekeeper and nanny — all allegedly paid for by business figures hoping to secure lucrative state contracts. 
Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told the court that the lavish lifestyle was provided by people who “clearly believed Mrs Alison-Madueke would use her influence to favour them” in the award or retention of contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned oil companies. Among the benefits cited were refurbishment works on properties worth millions of pounds. 
Mrs Alison-Madueke, 65, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Her legal team disputes the allegations, and the case remains ongoing. 
The trial has drawn international attention to questions of corruption and accountability in global energy sectors, underscoring how alleged misconduct by senior officials can have far-reaching implications across jurisdictions.
