MALABU OIL DEAL: Adoke writes INTERPOL from Dubai, says he’s facing political persecution

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke has written the general secretariat of INTERPOL in France to demand his release.

Adoke, who is on trial for corruption in Nigeria, was arrested by INTERPOL in Dubai November 11 and has remained in detention.

The former AGF claimed that his arrest and current trial were political persecution by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and an abuse of court orders.

He is being persecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his alleged complicity in the controversial $1.2 billion Malabu oil deal.

In a letter, dated November 28 and seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Adoke said that the arrest “was intended for unlawful and malicious purposes.

“On 11th November 2019, our client was arrested in Dubai (UAE) by the Interpol in breach of its Article 3 of its constitution as agent of the political authorities in Nigeria in circumstances described below as unlawful.

“The criminal charges filed in the courts, in Nigeria, against our client by the EFCC, are intended for unlawful and malicious purposes, to wit: political persecution of our client for reasons connected with our client’s former position in public office as a senior figure in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Mr Adoke said in the letter signed by his lawyer, Femi Oboro.

Adoke who has denied links to the alleged Malabu fraud and had been on self-exile since vacating office in May 2015, accused the current government of political intimidation and abuse of court orders.

He cited the federal high court decision of Justice Binta Nyako in April 2017 where the judge ruled that his alleged actions were in line with his lawful duties.

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The letter also made reference to a September 2017 communication from the AGF, Abubakar Malami, where Mr Malami advised President Muhamadu Buhari that no valid case could be established against Mr Adoke and others accused in the Malabu scandal.

“A material matter considered in the judgment of Honourable Justice B.F.M Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja dated 07 April 2018, in the case of Mohammed Bello Adoke Supra, is the letter of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (HAGF) dated 20th September 2017, issued in the exercise of the powers granted under s. 105 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2019, to review the criminal charges preferred against our client before the Federal High Court Abuja, under Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/268, that the “proof of evidence is unlikely to support the counts which border on fraud, conspiracy and money laundering against our client in the charge before the Federal High Court under Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/268.”

Mr Adoke described his arrest as an attempt by Nigerian authorities to facilitate international illegality by propelling INTERPOL to violate section 3 of its constitution which prohibits intervention for political and other reasons.

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