Former Attorney-General of Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, and six others have been docked in connection with the controversial Oil Prospecting License (OPL)245, popularly referred to as Malabu Oil deal.

Adoke and his co-defendants were arraigned before Justice Idris Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting at Gwagwalada, Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday.

Others that were arraigned with Adoke are Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited on a 42-count charge bordering on gratification, forgery, among others.

Recall that EFCC on December 19, 2019 arrested Adoke who served as the country’s chief law officer between 2010 and 2015 under the administration of former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

The former minister was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on arrival from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he was said to have gone for a medical checkup on November 11, 2019, based on an arrest warrant issued by Justice Danladi Senchi of the FCT High Court on April 19, 2019.

The judge later vacated the said warrant on October 25.

Adoke had been under EFCC’s investigation on criminal allegations ranging from abuse of office, money laundering, bribery, among others, particularly in the Malabu Oil and Gas involving Shell and Eni.

The anti-corruption Commission had in 2017 filed charges against 11 individuals and corporate entities before Justice Danlami Senchi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Jabi, Abuja.

EFCC filed the charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and 10 others, including Adoke, a former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete and Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, among others, accusing them of fraudulent allocation of the controversial Oil Prospecting Licence 245, popular known as Malabu Oil and Gas.

Details later…

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