Key Testimonies Under Scrutiny in Diezani’s UK Trial

The bribery trial of former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, has entered a critical phase as defence lawyers challenge the reliability of key prosecution witnesses.

The proceedings, taking place at Southwark Crown Court, centre on five counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Prosecutors allege that during her time in office, Allison-Madueke received expensive gifts and luxury benefits from figures in the oil sector in exchange for influencing official decisions.

Jurors have heard claims of high-value shopping sprees in exclusive parts of London, including purchases allegedly worth more than £2 million. However, recent cross-examinations have brought forward inconsistencies that could complicate the Crown’s case.

One of the prosecution’s main witnesses, Sandro Rocha, a former driver to Nigerian businessman Kola Aluko, testified that he transported large amounts of cash and frequently drove Allison-Madueke to properties associated with Aluko in London. He also stated that on one occasion, he drove her alongside former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

Under questioning by the defence, Rocha admitted that his memory of events between 2009 and 2014 was “patchy.” He further acknowledged that he relied entirely on a witness statement prepared by officers of the National Crime Agency.

When confronted with documentary inconsistencies, Rocha conceded that parts of his earlier testimony were “most likely wrong,” including claims relating to Allison-Madueke’s alleged presence at certain properties and references to her mother being seen at a construction site.

His admission that investigators drafted his statement has drawn attention to witness preparation standards outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service, which caution against coaching or shaping witness evidence.

In a separate strand of testimony, Amina Hamila, a Private Client Manager at Harrods, provided evidence regarding luxury purchases allegedly linked to Allison-Madueke. The court heard that she was classified as a “Black Tier” client, a status granting access to exclusive shopping privileges.

However, under cross-examination, Hamila acknowledged that transaction records, when compared with Allison-Madueke’s immigration history and passport data, showed that significant purchases attributed to her occurred at times when she was not in the United Kingdom.

She also confirmed that Allison-Madueke did not physically present a payment card for the transactions in question. Instead, Harrods’ internal records listed Kola Aluko as the paying client, with the goods documented in his name before being delivered to his storage facilities.

The distinction between a client profile and the individual who funded and received the items may prove central to the jury’s deliberations as they assess whether the alleged benefits constituted bribes personally received by the former minister.

While prosecutors maintain that the luxury goods were provided to influence official decisions during her tenure, the defence continues to question the strength and consistency of the evidence presented so far.

The trial is expected to resume on February 23, 2026, with additional prosecution witnesses scheduled to take the stand.