Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Diezani Allison-Madueke speaks at a media briefing on a new gas price regime in the capital of Abuja May 27, 2010.Nigeria’s state power company will pay energy companies, such as Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil more for their gas to encourage investment and boost supply capacity, the oil minister said on Thursday.REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde (NIGERIA – Tags: POLITICS ENERGY)
Nigeria’s energy sector — one of the largest contributors to the nation’s economy — has repeatedly been rocked by allegations of corruption, contract mismanagement, and abuse of office. Over the years, several ministers overseeing the petroleum and power portfolios have faced scrutiny from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or fallen out of favour with successive administrations.
These former ministers have been accused of irregularities in project execution, questionable contract awards, and mismanagement of public funds. Below is a list of notable energy ministers who have faced investigation or prosecution, and how their cases unfolded.
1. Timipre Sylva — Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (2019–2023)
Timipre Sylva, former Bayelsa State governor and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, was declared wanted by the EFCC in April 2025 over alleged involvement in a $14.8 million fraud.
According to a statement by Dele Oyewale, head of media and publicity at the EFCC, the sum represents part of the funds reportedly injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery project.
An order issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu authorised law enforcement agencies to apprehend the former minister and bring him before the Commission to respond to the allegations.
2. Diezani Alison-Madueke — Minister of Petroleum Resources (2010–2015)
Diezani Alison-Madueke remains one of Nigeria’s most high-profile corruption cases.
Serving under former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2010 to 2015, she was Nigeria’s first female Minister of Petroleum Resources. Since leaving office, she has faced numerous allegations of bribery, fraud, and money laundering in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States.
In 2017, she was accused of diverting $153 million from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). In another case, $73 million of NNPC funds was allegedly used to influence the 2015 presidential election in favour of Jonathan.
She and the former president were also alleged to have received bribes in the $1.3 billion oil deal involving ENI and Royal Dutch Shell.
In January 2025, the US government returned $52.88 million in assets linked to Diezani to Nigeria, though asset recovery efforts are still ongoing.
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3. Dan Etete — Minister of Petroleum (1995–1998)
Dan Etete, who served under the late General Sani Abacha’s regime, was convicted of aggravated money laundering in France for his role in diverting hundreds of millions of dollars from oil companies through offshore accounts.
Etete and his associate, Richard Granier-Deferre, used shell companies and bank accounts across Europe and the Middle East to launder payments from oil firms seeking exploration licences in Nigeria.
In 2007, a French court sentenced him to three years in prison and imposed fines totalling $10.5 million, a ruling upheld on appeal in 2009.
Despite his conviction, in 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan approved the controversial transfer of $1.1 billion from multinational oil companies to Etete’s firm, Malabu Oil & Gas, which was later distributed among associates. Legal proceedings relating to the Malabu Oil deal remain ongoing.
4. Olu Agunloye — Minister of Power and Steel (2003)
Olu Agunloye, Minister of Power and Steel under President Olusegun Obasanjo, was accused of involvement in the fraudulent award of a $6 billion contract for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
The EFCC alleged that Agunloye abused his office by awarding the Build-Operate-Transfer contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited in 2003 without Federal Executive Council approval or budgetary backing. Investigators further claimed that Agunloye received financial benefits from Sunrise Power shortly after issuing the award letter.
He was declared wanted in December 2023 and subsequently arrested and arraigned in Abuja on seven counts of corruption and forgery. Re-arraigned in September 2025, Agunloye has maintained his innocence, describing the charges as politically motivated. The case remains before the courts.
5. Saleh Mamman — Minister of Power (2019–2021)
Saleh Mamman, who served under President Muhammadu Buhari, was arrested by the EFCC in 2023 over allegations of diverting ₦33.8 billion earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects.
He was accused of conspiring with officials of the Ministry of Power to siphon project funds, part of which was allegedly invested in real estate and foreign currency.
Mamman also reportedly fainted during interrogation at the EFCC headquarters before being released on administrative bail. He was later arraigned in July 2024, and his trial continues as of 2025.
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6. Muhammad Wakil — Minister of State for Power (2014–2015)
Muhammad Wakil, Minister of State for Power under President Goodluck Jonathan, was prosecuted by the EFCC for alleged corruption linked to the 2015 election campaign funds.
He was accused of receiving ₦450 million from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign funds, part of the $115 million allegedly distributed by former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.
In 2019, Wakil and four others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Maiduguri on charges of money laundering and criminal conspiracy. The EFCC alleged that he used part of the funds for political purposes rather than energy-related projects. The case was closed in 2023 without a conviction.
In a separate development in 2021, Wakil was arrested on the order of an FCT High Court over alleged involvement in the mismanagement of ₦27 billion set aside for the payment of retirement benefits to staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
