The long-running UK corruption trial of former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke was delayed on Monday, January 20, 2026, due to legal and technical reasons, lawyers involved in the case confirmed.
The trial, which is being heard at Southwark Crown Court, was scheduled to resume with further pre-trial proceedings but was adjourned to allow more time for the defence and prosecution to address outstanding legal submissions and technical matters, including disclosure of evidence and scheduling of witnesses.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, 59, faces charges of money laundering and bribery in connection with the award of oil contracts during her tenure as minister between 2010 and 2015. She is accused alongside associates of accepting bribes and laundering hundreds of millions of pounds through UK properties, luxury goods, and bank accounts.
The case has been ongoing since her arrest in London in 2017 and has faced multiple adjournments due to the complexity of evidence, international cooperation with Nigerian authorities, and legal arguments over jurisdiction and admissibility of certain documents.
Lawyers for Alison-Madueke told the court that additional time is needed to review newly disclosed materials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other agencies. Prosecutors from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) also cited technical issues related to evidence presentation.
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The trial is now expected to resume in late February 2026, with the judge warning that further delays could not be tolerated.
Alison-Madueke, who has been on bail since her arrest, denies all charges and has described the case as politically motivated.
The trial has drawn significant attention in Nigeria, where Diezani remains one of the most controversial figures of the Jonathan administration, with ongoing parallel cases in Nigeria involving billions of naira allegedly misappropriated from the oil sector.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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