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British Prosecutors Insist Alison-Madueke Received Inducements from Oil Sector Operators

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Former Nigerian Oil Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, took bribes including luxury goods and the use of high-end properties from industry figures interested in lucrative oil and gas contracts, British prosecutors said at her corruption trial yesterday.

Alison-Madueke was minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under the then President Goodluck Jonathan and was also briefly president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the first woman to hold either role.

The 65-year-old is now one of the most high-profile former energy officials to stand trial for alleged corruption, having been charged in 2023 with five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denies, a Reuters report said.

Prosecutor Alexandra Healy told jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court that Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury in London”, where she often stayed, provided by those interested in contracts with Nigerian state-owned companies.

Healy said Alison-Madueke was given the use of high-end properties and vast quantities of luxury goods by people who “clearly believed she would use her influence to favour them”.

There was no evidence Alison-Madueke awarded contracts to someone who should not have had one, but it was improper for her to have accepted benefits from those doing business with government-owned entities, Healy said.

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Alison-Madueke sat in the dock alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who was charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.

Alison-Madueke’s brother, 69-year-old Doye Agama, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery relating to Agama’s church and is listening to the trial by video link for medical reasons.

Ayinde and Agama also deny the charges against them, the Reuters report added.

Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting various financial benefits from individuals in the Nigerian oil industry between 2011 and 2015. They include the use of a chauffeur-driven car and a private jet.

She is also alleged to have had her son’s school fees paid by Nigerian businessman Benedict Peters, who is named on the indictment but is not facing trial, according to the report.

Kolawole Aluko, another Nigerian businessman who is named in one charge but is not standing trial, spent more than 2 million pounds ($2.75 million) on items for Alison-Madueke at Harrods alone, Healy told the court.

Alison-Madueke frequently stayed with her family in a mansion outside London provided for her by Aluko, who had bought the property through a company for 3.25 million pounds and paid for bills, staff and refurbishments, Healy added.

Ayinde is charged with bribing Alison-Madueke between 2012 and 2014 and also bribing the then Managing Director of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who is also not on trial, in 2015.

Healy said that, after Jonathan was replaced as president by Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Ayinde paid a “substantial bribe” to Kachikwu to ensure her friend continued to work in the NNPC.

Nigeria is one of the world’s largest producers of oil and the largest in Africa, extracting around 1.53 million barrels per day in December according to a Reuters survey, which is around 1.4 per cent of global supply.

But mismanagement and corruption, among other factors, have hampered development and prevented its oil wealth from benefiting wider Nigerian society.

Healy told the jury that, while it might seem unusual for allegations of bribing Nigerian officials to be heard in London, it reflected the links to Britain the three defendants had.

She said corruption “undermines the proper functioning of the global market” and it was important to stop conduct in Britain which could further corruption elsewhere.

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Crime

Oyo Police Arrest Suspected Serial Burglar, Recover Stolen Items Worth ₦16.2m

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The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected serial burglar, Nasiru Abiodun, over multiple burglary incidents in the Ejiooku/Iyana Offa area of Ibadan, recovering stolen property estimated at ₦16.22 million.

The Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, November 1, 2026, by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.

According to the statement, the suspect was arrested on October 31, 2026, at about 9:45 a.m. following a report from concerned residents of Oyewole Zone 2, Ile-Igbon, in the Ejiooku/Iyana Offa area.

SEE ALSO: Ebola: IGP Warns Nigerians Against Contact With Suspected Patients’ Body Fluids

Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Maku Base, reportedly apprehended Abiodun at a residential apartment with a sack containing house cables and other valuable items estimated at ₦3 million.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to burgling four different residential apartments within the area, carting away house cables, mobile phones, motorcycle batteries and other household valuables.

The police put the total estimated value of items stolen from the four apartments at ₦16.22 million, adding that some of the stolen property had already been recovered from the suspect.

Following his confession, operatives visited the identified crime scenes to establish relevant facts and advance the investigation.

The Command said efforts had been intensified to recover the remaining stolen items and apprehend other individuals suspected of receiving the stolen property.

It also appealed to residents of Ejiooku/Iyana Offa, Ile-Igbon and adjoining communities who may have experienced burglaries recently to report such incidents to the nearest police station or the Maku Base of the VCRU.

The appeal, according to the police, is aimed at identifying other possible victims and facilitating the recovery of additional stolen property.

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling criminal activities through proactive policing, intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with members of the public.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly provide credible information that could assist the police in preventing and detecting crime.

The police provided the Oyo State Call Response Centre toll-free number, 615, and the Command’s control room numbers, 08081768614 and 07055495413, for emergency reports.

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Crime

Navy Uncovers 132,000 Litres of Stolen Crude Oil in Bonny

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The Nigerian Navy has uncovered 132,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Allison community, Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State.

This was detailed in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, in which he disclosed that the Forward Operating Base Bonny discovered the stolen crude oil under Operation Delta Sentinel, following actionable intelligence.

He said the operation uncovered 10 dugout pits, adding that the site and the recovered products were handled in accordance with extant regulations.

“The operation reinforces the importance of intelligence-led action in identifying concealed petroleum stockpiles and disrupting the infrastructure that enables crude oil theft and the unauthorised movement of petroleum products.

“The Nigerian Navy will sustain efforts to locate and dismantle illegal refining infrastructure and disrupt the networks facilitating crude oil theft across the Niger Delta,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: FCT Motorists, Commuters Divided over NNPC Petrol Discount

The Navy urged community leaders, residents, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to promptly report crude oil theft, illegal refining, suspicious petroleum storage and the unauthorised movement of petroleum products to the nearest security agency.

Timely, credible information, the statement said, could enable swift intervention and prevent illicit activities from expanding.

“Safeguarding the nation’s critical petroleum assets requires vigilance and active cooperation between security agencies and the communities they serve. The Navy therefore urges the public to remain alert and support lawful efforts to protect national resources,” Folorunsho concluded.

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Crime

Delta Police Arrest School Bus Driver Over Alleged Kidnap, Rape of 14-Year-Old Student

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The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Lucky Ughagha, over the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student in Sapele, after reportedly collecting ₦503,000 in ransom from the victim’s father.

The suspect was arrested on October 23, 2026, following investigations into the incident, which was reported to the Sapele Area Command on October 20 by the victim’s father.

The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, and dated October 25, 2026.

SEE ALSO: JUST IN: Ex-Delta Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan Is Dead

According to the police, the father alleged that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school. The suspect reportedly contacted him afterward, demanded ₦503,000 and threatened to kill the minor if the ransom was not paid.

After the payment was made, the victim was allegedly abandoned along Oton Road in Sapele, where she was reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications of sexual assault.

Following the report, operatives of the Sapele Area Command commenced investigations, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.

The police also invited the school’s principal and vice principal for questioning as investigations continued.

The suspect reportedly abandoned the school bus and fled after the incident. However, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives traced him to his hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele, where he was arrested on October 23.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, according to the police.

The command said arrangements were underway to transfer him to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel E. Erale, condemned the alleged crime and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children from violence and exploitation.

The commissioner reiterated the command’s commitment to “protecting children from all forms of violence and exploitation.”

He also assured the public that “investigations will be thorough and that anyone found culpable will be brought to justice.”

Erale further called on school authorities, parents and transport operators to exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding children, stressing that “the safety of every child entrusted to their care must remain paramount.”

 

 

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