Ex-Nigeria Oil Minister Accused of Living a “Luxury Movie Life” in UK as London Court Hears £2m Harrods Spending

Former Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has found herself at the centre of a dramatic bribery trial in the United Kingdom — and the details coming out of court sound like scenes straight out of a luxury crime film.

A London court has heard that over £2 million was spent at Harrods on Diezani’s behalf while she allegedly enjoyed a lavish lifestyle funded by oil industry figures seeking lucrative Nigerian government contracts.

According to prosecutors at Southwark Crown Court, the former oil minister was allegedly provided with what they described as “a life of luxury” in the UK — including multimillion-pound homes, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet travel, and even £100,000 in cash.

Jurors were told that Diezani, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister between 2010 and 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, had access to a personal Harrods shopper, a privilege reserved for elite Black Tier members who spend more than £10,000 yearly.

The court also heard that £4.6 million was allegedly spent refurbishing luxury properties in London and Buckinghamshire that she reportedly used, alongside paid staff such as housekeepers, a nanny, gardener, and window cleaner — all allegedly funded by businessmen connected to Nigeria’s oil sector.

One of the properties, known as “The Falls” in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, reportedly featured a cinema room and was allegedly used exclusively by Diezani for periods stretching weeks at a time. Prosecutors claim she even spent six weeks there writing a book about Nigeria’s president.

The funds were allegedly provided through Nigerian businessmen Kolawole Aluko and Olajide Omokore, whose companies reportedly had active oil contracts with Nigeria’s state-owned oil corporations.

Prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC told the court the case highlights how corruption crosses borders, stressing that bribery in one country can undermine global markets, even when the trial takes place thousands of miles away.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, now 65, denies all five counts of bribery and conspiracy, insisting she committed no wrongdoing.

She is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde, while her brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, is also charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. Both men have denied the allegations.

The trial, expected to last around 12 weeks, continues — as one of Nigeria’s most high-profile corruption cases once again places the country’s oil wealth under global scrutiny.