EXCLUSIVE: Court Hears How Aluko, Omokore Allegedly Channelled Cash to Diezani as Driver Lifts Lid on Lavish Lifestyle

Fresh testimony in the ongoing corruption trial of former Petroleum Minister and ex-OPEC President, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has shed new light on her alleged financial dealings with businessmen Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore.
On Monday, the proceedings took a dramatic turn as a former driver employed by Aluko recounted details of luxury shopping trips, repeated cash withdrawals, and discreet deliveries in London.
The witness, identified as Mr. Sandro, told the court that he regularly chauffeured Alison-Madueke and Aluko in high-end vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, to some of London’s most exclusive department stores such as Harrods and Selfridges. He said he would often wait for hours while they shopped before collecting receipts and transporting them either to Alison-Madueke’s residence in St John’s Wood or to Aluko’s £35 million apartment at the prestigious One Hyde Park development.
Alleged Cash Collections
Sandro’s most explosive claims centred on repeated instructions to collect large sums of money from FBN Bank at Finsbury Square. He testified that the transactions initially involved envelopes containing between £10,000 and £15,000, handed to him by a cashier he identified as Mr. Tunji.
According to his account, the cash was later counted and divided in the back seat of the Rolls Royce, with portions allegedly allocated for various payments, including transfers linked to Jide Omokore, Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited.
He told jurors that these collections occurred more than a dozen times, with the amounts steadily increasing. On one occasion, he claimed he delivered £100,000 in cash to Alison-Madueke’s London home, handing it over to a young man identified as Abu. The unusually large parcel, he said, stood out to him at the time.
Prosecutors are expected to rely heavily on this testimony as they seek to establish a pattern of secret cash movements tied to the defendants.
Meetings and Movements
The former driver also described driving Alison-Madueke and then-President Goodluck Jonathan to a private meeting with Aluko in North West London. After the meeting, he said, he returned Aluko to his residence at One Hyde Park.
He further recounted transporting Alison-Madueke’s husband to the airport and noted that relations between Alison-Madueke and Aluko later became strained, though he avoided listening in on their personal discussions.
Abrupt Exit and Unpaid Wages
Sandro told the court that his employment was marred by irregular salary payments, leaving him owed approximately two and a half months’ wages. His final assignment, he said, was driving Aluko to the airport before the businessman suddenly departed the United Kingdom.
While attention remains focused on Alison-Madueke and Aluko, observers noted that Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde, CEO of Dutchford Exploration and Production, who is also facing charges, maintained a low profile during proceedings, quietly exiting the courtroom after the session.
Alison-Madueke, Ayinde—an associate of President Bola Tinubu—and her 69-year-old brother, Doye Agama, are all standing trial on bribery-related allegations connected to the same case.
A Long Trail of Investigations
Aluko has for years been linked to international corruption probes tied to Nigeria’s oil sector. In 2015, British authorities sought his arrest via Switzerland as part of a money laundering investigation.
Two years later, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated civil forfeiture proceedings, alleging that Aluko and Omokore conspired to bribe Alison-Madueke and used proceeds from disputed oil contracts to acquire luxury properties in London, Los Angeles, and New York, along with high-end vehicles and yachts.
Nigerian authorities also indicted Aluko in 2017 over an alleged multi-million naira oil fraud involving Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts’ controversial oil agreements.
Despite asset seizures and multiple indictments across jurisdictions, Aluko has never secured a criminal conviction. Nevertheless, his name continues to feature prominently in corruption-related proceedings, including the current London trial, where testimony now portrays him as central to alleged cash transfers and extravagant spending.
Ultimately, it will be up to the jury to determine whether the driver’s account—linking luxury purchases, repeated bank withdrawals, and alleged payments—amounts to decisive evidence in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched corruption cases

Stella reporting from FOCUS TV NIGERIA