Full List: Top Nigerian politicians who appear in UK court in 2023

Many Nigerian politicians are facing legal battles, not only in Nigeria but in some countries around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Most of the cases these politicians face are around corruption and money laundering. Some have been prosecuted, while others are in a long battle to defend themselves.

In 2023, some top Nigerian politicians will appear before the UK jury. Below is a list of them.

Ike Ekweremadu

The former Deputy Senate President was the first top Nigerian politician to appear before the UK court in 2023. He was found guilty and convicted of organ trafficking in London.

Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, along with his wife, Beatrice, who got four and six months imprisonment, and their family doctor, who aided crime, was sentenced to 10 years.

James Ibori

The former governor of Delta State was earlier sentenced and jailed in the UK. Still, he has again appeared before the London court in 2023 for another crime bordering on corruption and money laundering.

On Friday, July 21, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain again had another case in London court where the judge ordered the confiscation of $130 million belonging to the Nigerian politician.

Ibori was the governor of Delta State between 1999 to 2007 on the platform of the PDP.

Diezani Alison-Madueke

The former president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and ex-Nigeria oil minister has accused the UK police of bribery offences.

Police have accused Alison Madueke of collecting bribes in exchange for awarding a multi-million-pound oil and gas contract. Alison-Madueke was a top member of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

She was the minister of petroleum between 2010 and 2015 and served as the president of OPEC.

It was reported that James Ibori, the former governor of Delta State, has been asked to confiscate his £101.5 million pounds or face eight years in jail.

The confiscated amount in naira is N101,143,847,363.27, which is one-nine of the amount that Nigeria’s three tiers of government shared on Thursday.

Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court of London in the UK, on Friday, July 21, gave the order.