Former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke on Tuesday denied multiple bribery charges as her trial opened at Southwark Crown Court in London, where prosecutors accused her of living a “life of luxury” funded by illicit payments.

British prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke, 65, accepted bribes between 2011 and 2015 while serving as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the prosecution, individuals seeking “lucrative oil and gas contracts” with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company provided her with “significant financial and other advantages” in exchange for influence.

“She should not have accepted benefits from those doing extremely lucrative business with government-owned entities,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard that the alleged benefits included £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, private jet flights, refurbishment work and staff costs at London properties, as well as school fees for her son and luxury items from stores such as Harrods and Louis Vuitton.

Alison-Madueke, who also served as president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries from 2014 to 2015, has been linked to several legal cases globally, including in the United States.

In Nigeria, courts seized properties belonging to her and valued at several million dollars in 2017.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission still has pending cases against the former minister.

She has been on bail since her arrest in London in October 2015 and formally charged in 2023. She has consistently denied all allegations.

The UK National Crime Agency said at the time it suspected she had “abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million-pound contracts.”

Two others, Doye Agama, her brother, and Olatimbo Ayinde, are also standing trial on related bribery charges.

Trial Judge, Justine Thornton said she hoped the trial would conclude by April 24.

Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yusuf announced his defection on Monday at an event held at the coronation hall of the Kano state government house, noting that the decision was taken “in the best interest of the people of Kano state”.

The governor resigned from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Friday, citing “deepening internal crises” and “prolonged leadership disputes” as reasons for his exit.

Yusuf said his priority remains delivering good governance and the dividends of democracy to Kano residents.

Abdullahi Ganduje, former national chairman of the APC and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; and Kawu Sumaila, alongside members of the Kano state executive council, party stakeholders, and other government officials, were in attendance.

The move comes hours after 21 members of the Kano state house of assembly defected from the NNPP to the APC.

In reaction to Yusuf’s defection, Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the NNPP, declared January 23 as “World Betrayal Day”.