Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is the current President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was released on bail hours after she was arrested in London, Daily Post Nigeria reports.
LONDON – The former minister was arrested on Friday by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) on suspicion of bribery, corruption and money laundering, along with four other people, Nigerian media reported.
Alison-Madueke was asked to report to a police station on Monday for further questioning and her passport was seized, Daily Post Nigeria said on Friday.
Premium Times said on Friday that it was not clear whether the former minister was arrested based on a request from the Nigerian government.
Diezani Alison-Madueke was first appointed into Nigeria’s federal cabinet in 2007. Although she was repeatedly investigated by the Nigerian Senate on allegations of bribery and corruption, Alison-Madueke strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Diezani Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources between April 2010 and May 2015. In November 2014 she became the first female President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).