The Federal Government on Monday dragged the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, two businessmen and four oil firms to the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the controversial payment of $1.1 billion to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.
This is coming after the court granted permission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain Mohammed Adoke for 14 days in order to enable the commission to complete its investigations of allegations involving the suspect.
The EFCC has finally filed a 12-count charge of fraud and money laundering against Adoke and six others, claiming the government was short-changed as appropriate cash due it was diverted to certain individuals and entities.
The seven defendants are – Adoke, Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie,Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited (SNUD) and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited (SNEPCO).
The EFCC filed the case with charge No. CR/151/2020 on January 15 and accused the former minister of receiving a bribe worth N300 million to execute the controversial Malabu Oil payment in 2013.
The government claimed that Adoke had while still serving as a minister received N300 million equivalent of United States Dollars, which it suspected to have been unlawfully obtained thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 319 A of the Penal Code, cap, 532 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990. The charges partly reads:
“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, whilst being a public servant, as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Government of Federation of Nigeria at the material time, sometime in 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, accepted from Aliyu Abubakar a gratification other than lawful remuneration, 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, and thereby committed an offence under section 115 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same section of the Penal Code.
“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria AGIP Exploration Limited and Dauzia Loya Etete (at large), sometime in 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, all conspired and agreed to waive taxes due to the Federal Government of Nigeria by illegal means through the execution of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited that you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code.
“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, being a public servant at the material time, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of the Government of Nigeria, sometime in 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, was in possession and custody of the sum reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an offence an offence under section 319A of the Penal Code and punishable under the same section of the Penal Code.
“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, being a public servant at the material time, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of the Government of Nigeria, sometime in 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, accepted for yourself without consideration, certain funds from Aliyu Abubakar whom you knew to have brokered the negotiation and signing of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited dated and thereby committed an offence under section 119 of the Penal Code and Punishable under the same section of the Penal Code.
“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, a public servant at the material time, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of the Government of Nigeria, sometime in 2012, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in the Block 245 Resolution Agreement with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited agreed to waive taxes due to the Federal Government of Nigeria, knowing yourself likely to cause injury to the same Federal Government of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence under section 123 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 123 of the same Penal Code.”
This is coming after Adoke, who has been charged with $1.1bn Malabu Oil scam since 2016, returned to Nigeria to end his over four years old self-exile.
KanyiDaily had reported Mr Adoke returned to Nigeria on Thursday, December 19, 2019, after he was detained for over one month by the INTERPOL in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Following an agreement between him, INTERPOL, and Dubai authorities, he returned to Nigeria on Thursday.
Adoke was immediately arrested on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja by operatives of the International Police Organisation and handed over to the EFCC.
