MALABU FRAUD: FG to seek extradition of ex-AGF Adoke, others

The Nigerian Government on Tuesday disclosed that it is making concerted efforts to ensure that the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, is extradited to the country to face corruption charges leveled against him over Malabu oil deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC’s) lawyer, Johnson Ojogbane, who revealed this on Tuesday in Abuja, added that others accused along Adoke, who are also outside the country will equally be extradited.

Adoke, along with a former petroleum minister, Dan Etete and two multinational oil companies, Eni and Shell are being prosecuted by the EFCC over their roles in the $1.1billion alleged Malabu oil deal fraud.

The case which is before an Abuja Federal High Court and presided over by Justice John Tsoho, had been fixed at the last adjourned date for June 13, for the arraignment of Mr. Adoke and the other defendants.

But on Tuesday when the matter came up in court, Mr. Ojogbane told the News Agency of Nigeria that prosecution of the accused could not proceed as slated due to the inability of the anti-graft agency to produce Mr. Adoke and other defendants.

He said, “The matter was adjourned until today for arraignment of the defendants, but up till now, we have not been able to secure the attendance of most of the defendants, because they are outside jurisdiction, that is they are outside the country.

“The Federal Government is doing everything within its powers to bring them back to Nigeria so that they can face their trial.

“The government will take steps, in collaboration with the international police to locate them and bring them back to Nigeria through extradition, which is a very cumbersome process, but it will be done.”

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According to him, the matter has been further adjourned by the court till October 26 to allow for the process of extraditing Mr. Adoke and others back to Nigeria.

Nine suspects, Mr. Adoke, Mr. Etete, Aliyu Abubakar, ENI Spa, Ralph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujatti Stefeno, Burrafati Sebestiano and Malabu Oil and Gas were charged alongside the two multinational oil companies in December 2016 by the EFCC over the purchase of OPL 245.

The alleged money was supposedly paid by the oil firms into a Nigerian government account in London for OPL 245, an oil block considered one of the richest in Africa.

Mr. Adoke is said to have after the payment authorised the transfer of the funds into private accounts of former petroleum minister, Dan Etete in controversial circumstances. More than $800million of the money was supposedly transferred with most of the money allegedly ending in individual pockets of former President Goodluck Jonathan and officials of his administration.

Both Jonathan and Adoke, have however, denied any wrongdoing in the said deal.

 

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