The former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, dramatically exited the Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday, 23rd February, 2026 as her high-profile bribery and corruption trial resumed after a one-week break.
Alison-Madueke, a former President of OPEC, appeared visibly shaken as British prosecutor Alexandra Heal requested audio equipment to play a recorded conversation between her and oil businessman Jide Omokore in open court. Dressed in a blue trouser suit, she sat motionless in the dock while the prosecution presented pages of emails, text messages, and other documentary evidence.
Moments later, the former minister stormed out of the courtroom. As she made her way to a waiting Mercedes-Benz saloon car, a bystander shouted, asking how she felt about “corrupting Nigeria.” She declined to respond and walked past without a word.
The proceedings follow earlier dramatic testimony from a former driver employed by businessman Kola Aluko, whose evidence has added fresh intensity to the case.
Testifying before the court, Mr. Sandro recounted how he chauffeured Alison-Madueke and Aluko in luxury vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce, to high-end London stores such as Harrods and Selfridges. He told the court that he would often wait for hours during shopping trips before collecting receipts and delivering them either to Alison-Madueke’s residence in St John’s Wood or to Aluko’s £35 million apartment at the exclusive One Hyde Park complex.
More striking were claims involving repeated cash collections from FBN Bank in Finsbury Square. According to Sandro, he was instructed to pick up envelopes containing between £10,000 and £15,000 from a bank cashier identified as Mr. Tunji. He alleged that the cash was later divided inside a Rolls-Royce, with portions earmarked for bills and payments to Jide Omokore, Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited.
Sandro testified that the transactions occurred more than a dozen times, with the amounts allegedly increasing over time. On one occasion, he claimed he delivered £100,000 in cash to Alison-Madueke’s London residence, handing it to a young man identified as Abu.
The witness also told the court that he once drove Alison-Madueke and former President Goodluck Jonathan to a meeting in North West London with Aluko. He later transported Alison-Madueke’s husband to the airport and said tensions eventually developed between the former minister and Aluko.
Sandro further revealed that he was frequently underpaid and was eventually owed two and a half months’ salary before Aluko abruptly left the United Kingdom.
The trial also involves oil executive Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde, CEO of Dutchford Exploration and Production, and Doye Agama, Alison-Madueke’s 69-year-old brother. Observers noted that Ayinde has maintained a low profile, quietly exiting court proceedings without addressing the media.
According to SaharaReporters, Alison-Madueke, Ayinde, and Agama face bribery charges connected to the same case. The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court, with prosecutors expected to present further documentary and audio evidence in the coming days.
