The trial of former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, continued on Day 18 at the Southwark Crown Court, where she mounted an extensive defence of her tenure, insisting she had limited direct control over oil contract awards and describing herself as largely a “rubber stamp” operating within a highly layered bureaucracy.
She told the court that contract decisions in the oil sector were processed through multiple agencies before reaching her desk, arguing that by the time files were presented to the minister, “the choice had been made.”
According to her, operational authority rested mainly with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while the ministry performed an oversight function.
Diezani said the size and complexity of Nigeria’s petroleum industry made direct ministerial control impossible, stating that the sector involved thousands of employees, hundreds of oil fields, multiple pipelines and depots, and several parastatals operating under different reporting structures.
“It was not a one-man state,” she told the court.
She maintained that she personally rejected only about one to two per cent of contracts during her tenure, adding that interference with already-approved transactions was rare and often politically sensitive.
Diezani also told the court that in 2014 she uncovered an alleged crude oil lifting arrangement involving multiple companies, which she said was allegedly linked to businessman Igho Sanomi.
She said she moved to cancel the contracts after a whistle-blower alert but faced strong political backlash, including direct complaints to then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Diezani also revisited the widely reported $20 billion oil revenue controversy, linked to claims raised by former central bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, telling the court that the matter had been misrepresented in public discourse.
She said what was initially described as “missing money” was later reviewed through audits and parliamentary scrutiny, which clarified that a significant portion related to subsidy payments and operational expenditures.
She insisted that she was unfairly associated with allegations of theft, describing the media fallout as politically driven and damaging to her reputation.
Diezani further told the court that subsidy investigations later revealed misuse within the system, including “round-tripping” practices where marketers allegedly submitted multiple claims for payment.
She said she escalated concerns to anti-corruption agencies and restructured aspects of the downstream sector, which she said led to a sharp reduction in subsidy claims but also triggered threats against her.
In an emotional moment, Diezani told the court that resistance to her reforms exposed her and her family to serious danger.
She revealed that her younger sister was kidnapped in 2013 and held for two weeks, while her nephew was also abducted in a separate incident.
She broke down in tears while describing how her son required military protection to attend school due to security threats.
The former minister also told the court that political and business figures frequently pressured her office for favours in oil allocations and financial matters, citing a letter from businessman and politician Ifeanyi Ubah as an example of such lobbying.
She said she rejected all such requests.
On her personal finances, Diezani acknowledged using credit cards issued by Nigerian banks, including Zenith Bank and UBA, and confirmed that some transactions were made abroad during official travels.
She told the court that Nigerian ministers were barred from maintaining foreign accounts, which sometimes created logistical challenges during overseas assignments.
She also admitted that, on a few occasions, her cards were declined abroad, which she said led to arrangements for third parties to cover expenses in some situations.
The court was shown travel records, diplomatic correspondence, and passport stamps covering her international movements between 2011 and 2015.
Diezani said she typically travelled with an entourage of about 30 staff members, including technical assistants and protocol officers, and insisted that all official movements were documented in ministry diaries later archived by government authorities.
She also addressed the use of private jets and chartered flights, saying such arrangements were common for government officials within Nigeria, while commercial flights were also frequently used for international travel.
Diezani maintained that her tenure was defined by efforts to open up the petroleum sector to indigenous participation and improve transparency, citing reforms aimed at expanding opportunities for Nigerian companies under the country’s local content framework.
The trial continues.
Wale Igbintade
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