Nigeria's ex-Attorney General gets favourable ruling over Malabu oil bloc deal

Fresh details have emerged on the court case between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and former Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke over the sale of the Oil Processing Licence 245 known as Malabu oil bloc.

The former Minister of Justice had gotten four of his five prayers answered by Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The Court had ruled that Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, could not be held liable for his roles in the Oil Processing Licence 245 transactions.

Justice Nyako, while delivering the judgment in the suit marked, FHC /ABJ/ 94/ 446/2017, held that since Adoke only executed the lawful directives/approvals of the then President Goodluck Jonathan, the former minister was free of any liability for his roles in the deal.

The judge also resolved all the issues raised for determination in favour of the plaintiff and also dismissed the preliminary objection raised against the suit by the current Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.

ALSO READ: 5 things you should about Malabu Oil deal and JP Morgan

Not yet uhuru for Adoke

While Adoke is happy to have gotten a favourable judgement, the judge refused to grant one of his requests.

Justice Nyako refused to grant relief 5 where Adoke prayed for a declaration that his “prosecution by the EFCC, on account of his carrying out of the lawful directives and implementation of the approvals of the President while he served as a minister of the government of the federation, is illegal, null and void and inconsistent with the intendment of Section 5 (1) of the Constitution.”

The judge said the prayer was unnecessary and amounted to an academic exercise in the light of Exhibit 19 (Adoke’s letter to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC).

'OPL 245 Malabu Oil Field

Malabu Oilfield, popularly known as 'OPL 245', is believed to be the richest oil block in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. The oil field is estimated to have over 9 billion barrels of crude oil in the deposit. As a result, it is a choice asset for many multinational oil companies operating in Nigeria.

The oil field has been a subject of controversies since 2011, and it is involving over 5 countries – Nigeria, Netherlands, Italy, London and United States of America.

Nigeria's ex-Attorney General gets favourable ruling over Malabu oil bloc deal

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!