The district judge, Michael Snow, granted Alison-Madueke a £70,000 bail.

Snow further imposed other terms on Alison-Madueke including an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn by her at all times and a £70,000 surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.

Although she did not formally enter a plea, her attorney, Mark Bowen, informed the court that she would plead not guilty, Reuters reported.

Her next court appearance will be on October 30 at Southwark Crown Court, which deals with serious criminal cases.

In August, the UK’s National Crime Agency said it suspected that Alison-Madueke had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.

In a statement published on its website, NCA said the ex-Nigeria minister “is alleged to have benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.

Her charges also detail financial rewards, including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods.”

In March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1m linked to Diezan’s alleged corruption.

Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation. Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat,” Kelly added.

Diezani was the minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Shortly before Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, she left the country for the UK.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that the former minister stole $2.5bn from the Nigerian government while she was a minister.

Efforts by the EFCC to arraign her have been unsuccessful as she has not returned to Nigeria since 2015. But the anti-graft agency said on Monday that it had commenced an extradition process to bring Diezani back to Nigeria to face trial.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said, “The EFCC welcomes, with keen interest, the arraignment of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, at the Westminister’s Court in London, United Kingdom, following alleged bribery allegations.

“Although the charges preferred against her at the London court, are diametrically different from the 13 counts, bordering on money laundering that the EFCC has raised against her, it is instructive to note that criminality is criminality, irrespective of jurisdictional differences. No crime can go unpunished. The money laundering charges for which Madueke is answerable to the EFCC, cover jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria.

“To bring the former Minister to trial in Nigeria, an arrest warrant has been obtained and extradition proceedings have been initiated. The commission is on course on her trial. She will soon have her day in our courts.”

Omokore, who is an ally of former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was initially arraigned in 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He was arraigned alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, and David Mbanefo on 15 counts of fraud.

The trio were alleged to have fraudulently diverted about $1.6bn alleged to be part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government and were arraigned before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had
alleged that Omokore obtained barrels of crude oil from FG, after he made false presentations to the NPDC and the NNPC.

One of the charge against the defendants, read: “That you, Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko (now at large) between May 2013 and March 2014, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained by false pretence and with intent to defraud 7, 551, 867 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of US$ 823, 075, 189.95 from Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the false pretence that you had funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support the Nigerian Petroleum Company Ltd in Petroleum operation for the OML 60, 61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act CAP A6 2010 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

It will be recalled that at the earlier stage of the trial, the court had struck out the name of the former Petroleum Minister, Deziani, which was reflected in a count in the charge.

The court noted that though her name appeared in the count, she was however not properly joined as a defendant.

Meanwhile, the court, in the judgment delivered by Justice Dimgba, found the former Managing Director of the NPDC, Victor Briggs, and former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC, Abiye Membere, guilty of engaging in official corruption, contrary to Section 98 of the Criminal Code.

The EFCC had alleged that using his two companies, the 1st defendant, induced top officials of both the NPDC and the NNPC to enter into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with FG for the operation of four rich Oil Wells, OML 60, 62, 62 and 63.

It said there was evidence that the two public officers received gifts of exotic cars from Omokore and his two companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited, who were the 1st to 3rd defendants in the charge.

According to the EFCC, contrary to Omokore’s false representation that he had the technical and professional skills including the funds to support the petroleum operations of the NPDC in relation to the Oil Wells, he, however, in connivance with the other defendants, siphoned crude oil and sold same to third-parties.

It told the court that one of the persons involved in the alleged crude oil fraud, Kolawole Akanni Aluko, was at large, adding that the charged officials collected kickbacks in the form of gifts of exotic cars from Omokore.

The anti-graft agency maintained that actions of the defendants were in breach of Section 1 (1a) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offenses Act CAP A6 2010 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charge but Omokore admitted that though he gave car gifts to the 4th and 5th defendants, he said it was a goodwill gesture in celebration of his 50th birthday celebration and not a kickback.

Ruling, Justice Dimgba held that the EFCC failed to, by way of credible evidence, establish elements of crime contained in the 15-count charge it preferred against the defendants.

He held that evidence of witnesses the prosecution produced before the court, among whom included the former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, established that the trial of the defendants was merely the case of “business relationship that went bad.”

The court said there was no evidence to nail the defendants to the allegations of fraud, inducement, obtaining by false pretense, conspiracy or money laundering and that contrary to the allegation by the EFCC, the SAA was a valid contract the parties voluntarily entered into with the 1st to 3rd defendants in 2012, with a view to improving achievements in the oil sector.

It held that evidence proved that Omokore and his companies had previous business relationships with both the NPDC and the NNPC.

More so, the court held that the EFCC did not controvert Omokore’s claim that it was the NNPC that approached him for his technical assets.

On the exotic car gifts, the court held that the EFCC failed to prove that the 4th and 5th defendants knew that it was part of the proceeds of any unlawful activities by the 1st to 3rd.

However, it noted that the 4th and 5th defendants admitted receiving the car gifts from Omokore, through Aluko who is at large.

The court held that there was evidence to prove that they accepted the gifts while aware that the 1st to 3rd defendants were still under a contractual agreement with their employers, the NPDC and the NNPC.

The court held that the action of the 4th and 5th defendants amounted to official corruption and accordingly found them giulty of the offense.

It held that under Section 98 of the Criminal Code Act, the defendants, being public officers, were prohibited from receiving such car gifts.

The court found the 4th and 5th defendants guilty on counts 10 and 11 of the charge, an offense that attracts seven years jail term.

Justice Dimgba adjourned further proceedings in the case till Wednesday for the court to pass its sentence.

He equally revoked the bail that was earlier granted to the two defendants and remanded them in custody of the EFCC pending their sentencing.

Meanwhile, the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, said it would appeal the judgement.

Umar, while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Loss of Over $2.4bn in Revenue from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude in 2015 Including Crude Oil Exports from 2014 Till Date, alleged that the British Government turned down the request to extradite Alison-Madueke.

The AIG, while being grilled by members of the committee, noted that the Nigerian government followed due process in seeking mutual legal assistance from the United Kingdom but the demand was ignored as the ex-minister also went to court in the UK to frustrate the process.

Responding to questions from the lawmakers, Umar explained why the move was successful in the cases of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina; and a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Bello Adoke (SAN).

In respect of assistance – seeking for assistance, if you remember, we repatriated many Nigerians who were alleged to have swindled the Nigerian Government. I went personally and brought Maina from (Republic of) Niger.

“I brought the former Attorney-General of the Federation from Dubai and many other Nigerians who absconded. We brought them back to face justice and those who are in Nigeria, hiding, we took them back to their various countries to face justice,” he said.

A member of the committee, Jude Ngaji, who is representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in Cross River State at the House, specifically asked why the Nigerian authorities had been unable to bring Alison-Madueke back to the country to face trial.

Responding to Ngaji’s question, Umar said, “The issue of Diezani, a warrant of arrest was issued. I am sorry to say the government of the UK turned down our request. We followed the MLA – you can check, that is Mutual Legal Assistance – to bring her back home. She went to court because, according to them, they have a system where they check our…let me not go there.”

The EFCC Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, stated this before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the status of recovered loot on Friday in Abuja.

He said the “jewelry forfeited from the former minister has been valued by relevant government agencies and the estimated value of the jewelry is 14.4 billion naira.”

The anti-graft chairman also said the Houses seized from the former Minister are also valued at 80million dollars.

Bawa said that Diezani’s jewellery is still in the custody of the agency, adding that it had not been auctioned but had been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

The House of Reps committee is assessing the status of all recovered loot moveable and immovable assets from 2002-2020 by agencies of government.

Bawa made the claim in the April edition of the EFCC magazine, EFCC Alert. Noting that the properties were valued at $80m, the anti-graft agency chairman also pointed out that bringing the former minister to justice was still far from reality, given the fact that she was out of Nigeria’s jurisdiction.

He said “There are several cases surrounding Diezani’s case. I was part of that investigation, and we have done quite a lot. In one of the cases, we recovered $153 million; we have secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $80 million. We have done quite a bit on that. The other cases as it relates to the $115 million INEC bribery is also ongoing across the federation. We are looking forward to the time we will, maybe, have her in the country, and, of course, review things and see what will happen going forward. The case has certainly not been abandoned.’’

The filings were done by Alexander Pencu, a partner of Meister Seelig & Fein LLP, attorneys for the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria.

New York federal judge, Lorna Schofield who granted the request asked the affected banks to allow the Nigerian government access the information they need to prove their case.

Former political office holders whose accounts are expected to be accessed by the Nigerian government include former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Faka Jonathan; former oil minister who is now late, Rilwanu Lukman; Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former petroleum minister during the tenure of Mr Jonathan; and Allison Amaechina Madueke; former attorney general and minister of justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke.

Others named in the subpoena are Taofiq Tijani; Grace Taiga; Mohammad Kuchazi; one Michael Quinn, who died in 2014; James Nolan; Adam Quinn; and Ibrahim Dikko.

He said the Commission had traced a number of criminal activities ranging from abuse of office, bribery, fraud, misuse of public funds and money-laundering to the former minister, who is currently at large to avoid questions on alleged criminal activities dotting her years as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Recall that in September 2019, a Federal High Court in Lagos granted EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the jewellery reportedly worth $40 million seized from Diezani’s house.

The trial judge, Nicholas Oweibo said Mrs Alison-Madueke failed to prove that the properties sought to be forfeited were not acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

Speaking at the ongoing EFCC stakeholders conference on crusade against cybercrime fraudsters, the anti-graft agency chairman, Ibrahim Magu said 242 trailers and tankers recovered from internet scammers will also be auctioned of

Delivering judgement in a petition filed by Diezani challenging the EFCC’s authority to seize her jewelries, Justice Oweibo held that the former Minister through her counsel, Awa Kalu (SAN), failed to show cause why the items should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had in July this year, seized the luxury items which it believes are proceeds from ”unlawful activities”. The antigraft agency told the court that the items were beyond Madueke’s legitimate means.

In an application filed by her counsel, Professor Awa Kalu, Diezani accused the EFCC of entering her apartment illegally and taking the items without any court order.

The former Minister argued that the entry into her apartment by EFCC operatives was illegal as it was without a court order.

According to the court papers, the jewelleries categorised into 33 sets, include “419 expensive bangles; 315 expensive rings; 304 expensive earrings; 267 expensive necklaces; 189 expensive wristwatches; 174 expensive necklaces and earrings; 78 expensive bracelets; 77 expensive brooches; and 74 expensive pendants.”

Justice Nichola Oweibo adjourned the case till August 29.