Prosecutors in the United Kingdom are furious after Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the EFCC, failed to hand over critical evidence in a high-profile bribery trial involving Olatimbo Bukola Ayinde, a controversial Nigerian businesswoman and alleged mistress of Bola Tinubu.
According to Peoples Gazette, Ms Ayinde is currently on trial in London for allegedly delivering at least ₦1.3 billion in cash bribes to Ibe Kachikwu, a former Nigerian petroleum minister, while he was overseeing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector during the Buhari administration.
She is also accused of bribing another former minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in separate deals.
British prosecutors say they requested documents from Nigeria as early as 2024 to support the case against Ms Ayinde. The evidence, already identified and guided by UK authorities, was expected to be sent by June 2, 2025, based on a court deadline set by Justice Justine Thornton of the High Court of England. But more than eight weeks later, the EFCC has still not complied.
“We’ve complained previously to Nigerian officials about their tardiness,” a UK prosecution source told Peoples Gazette, speaking anonymously. “Ms Ayinde’s case has uniquely troubled us.”
The delay, The Gazette reports, is believed to be deliberate. Nigerian anti-graft officials said they are facing pressure from top government figures not to fully cooperate with the UK, allegedly because of Ms Ayinde’s close ties to Tinubu.
A senior EFCC source revealed that the agency’s leadership was instructed to “look away” despite the legal importance of the request.
“They’re telling us to look away while pretending otherwise,” the official said. “Maybe they think it’s the only way they could help a woman so close to the president yet so close to being sent to jail for fraud.”
Sources within Nigeria’s presidency confirmed that Ms Ayinde remains an influential figure, even while facing trial abroad. “She seems to have some keen interest in national security and key sectors of the economy,” one presidential aide told The Gazette. “Her influence, while seemingly subdued, is undeniable.”
The delay has raised fears that Nigeria might be violating its mutual legal assistance agreement with the United Kingdom. The EFCC has not commented on the matter despite multiple inquiries from Peoples Gazette, and Nigeria’s Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, who is said to be behind the stalled transfer, has also not responded.
Ms Ayinde, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, declined to comment when contacted by The Gazette.
She was named in part eight of a British criminal filing that includes charges of bribery and cross-border conspiracy. She was granted bail alongside other alleged co-conspirators, including former officials.
As British prosecutors prepare for the January 2026 trial, the lack of cooperation from Nigeria has not only complicated the legal process but also risks damaging the long-standing legal partnership between the two countries.
