With reports that authorities have piles of evidence against former Attorney General and Minister of Justice in regards to his alleged fraudulent involvement in the Malabu scam, it seems the game is over for Mohammad Adoke as the law closes in on him.
Adoke is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC} till next week Monday when hearing in his money laundering case will continue.
The former AGF was arraigned in court on January 23 by the EFCC at Gwagwalada Division of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja on a 42-count charge of fraud and money laundering.
With Justice A.I. Kutigi presiding over the case, Adoke is being tried alongside Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Ltd and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production.
Meanwhile, the commission had also filed seven counts before a Federal High Court against Adoke and Abubakar. The charges were filed against the former minister for the role he allegedly played in the controversial Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245, otherwise known as Malabu oil scam.
Specifics of Adoke’s Alleged Crimes
Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was appointed Attorney General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.
The former AGF is accused of using public office for self-gratification, an offence contrary to and punishable in the Nigerian law. He is accused of accepting US dollars equivalent of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) from Aliyu Abubakar as a motive for facilitating and negotiating the Block 245 Resolution Agreement with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited. This transaction reportedly occurred in August 2013.
Adoke pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The Malabu Scam
On 28 December 2015, Adoke was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for questioning over the Malabu Oil deal.
He was questioned in connection to the missing £22.5m (N6.18billion) loot of the Sani Abacha which was recovered from the Island of Jersey.
A three-man team made up of Federal government officials which include Adoke was set up to monitor and recover the funds. However, In March 2016, it was reported that Adoke’s home in the Netherlands was searched as well as the Royal Dutch Shell headquarters due an investigation into the missing funds and received a bribe from the Malabu Oil deal.
On 21 December 2016, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officially filed charges against Adoke on a nine-count charge as at when he was the Attorney General of Nigeria, he approved a transfer transaction of $1.1 billion to Nigerian bank accounts managed by Dan Etete, former Minister of Petroleum.
The $1.1billion was paid by Royal Dutch Shell and Eni Oil & Gas, to the Federal government account for OPL 245 oil bloc. On 17 April 2019, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an arrest warrant for Adoke and four others for failing to appear at trial in connection with the Malabu Oil deal.
The Dubai Connection and Interpol Intervention
Following the April 2019 arrest warrant, the former AGF was arrested in Abu Dhabi on November 11 after being on the EFCC watchlist.
However, after a month in the custody of the International Police (INTERPOL) in the UAE, Adoke voluntarily offered to return to the country for interrogation by the EFCC and trial. He was however picked up by EFCC operatives into custody.
Adoke: A corrupt Official or Victim of Vendetta
While Adoke has maintained his innocence in the crimes he is accused of, there are debates on the true motives of his arraignment.
Though some have hailed his arrest as an indication of this administration’s commitment to the fight against corruption irrespective of the persons’ involved others see Adoke’s current ordeal as a vendetta by Buhari against officials who worked in the past administration.
The president has been accused of bias and lopsidedness in its target of corrupt officials as several government functionaries under his government have been fingered for fraudulent practices.
With the recent Transparency International ranking in which Nigeria continued to do poorly in its corruption perception index, the administration is hoping Adoke’s arraignment irrespective of how it is interpreted would help to change Nigeria’s image internationally.
