Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, was on Wednesday acquitted by a London jury of bribery charges, after ‌a rare corruption trial of a high-profile former energy official.

Alison-Madueke was minister in Nigeria between 2010 and 2015 under then-president Goodluck Belle Jonathan.

She stood trial ​charged on five counts of accepting bribes and a ​charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denied.

Prosecutors ⁠alleged that Alison-Madueke (65), was living “a life of luxury” in London ​from oil and gas industry figures who sought lucrative contracts in Nigeria while she was Minister, ​an industry which has long grappled with mismanagement and corruption.

But the former minister, who was also briefly president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, ​said she never took any bribes and had no real ​influence over awarding of lucrative government contracts.

After a trial at London’s Southwark ‌Crown ⁠Court, Alison-Madueke was acquitted by a jury of all six charges she faced after more than 46 hours of deliberation.

The acquittal verdicts have therefore become a major blow to the British authorities, which began their ​investigation into corruption ​allegations against Alison-Madueke since 2015.

Alison-Madueke stood trial alongside oil industry executive, Olatimbo Ayinde (54), who was ​charged with one-count charge of bribery relating to ​Alison-Madueke ⁠and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.

Alison-Madueke’s brother, Doye Agama (69), was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery ⁠with ​his sister relating to payments made to ​Agama’s church.

Both Ayinde and Agama denied the charges against them and were also ​acquitted by the jury. (Reuters)