The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC carry out thorough and intensified investigation as well as the prosecution of anyone linked to the Malabu Oil Scandal following an open letter written by the former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to present AGF.
Adoke, in an Open letter addressed to his successor, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Sunday titled, ‘Settlement of dispute over ownership/operation of OPL 245, between the Federal Government of Nigeria, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep and Malabu Oil and Gas Limited’ listed the names of both living and dead past presidents as well as some other ‘influential’ people in the country as people who were in the know of the happenings in the infamous scandal over one of biggest oil block in Africa. The former AGF specifically named former President Olusegun Obasanjo, late former President Umaru Yar’adua, immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Barrister Bayo Ojo, SAN, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke, and Dr. Olusegun Aganga.
Prior to now, Adoke had been charged of an involvement in $1.1bn Malabu Scam alongside 10 other persons. He was charged alongside Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited, Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, ENI SPA and three Italians for corruptly handing over $801,000,000 to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Dan Etete; Chairman of AA Oil, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar; and Etete’s company, Malabu Oil and Gas.
Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of CACOL while expressing concern over the case maintained that Adoke should answer his case in court. He said “We insist that ex-AGF should answer whatever charges that have been leveled against him in the Court. An open letter to his successor shows some hanky-panky; it is not the same as answering to the charges against him. He needs to understand that Nigerians are now wiser than the usual gimmick of corruption suspects that attempts to divert attention from the substance of the cases against them.”
In respect to Adoke’s statement that the EFCC is being used as a weapon of vendetta by the late Sanni Abacha’s Family, the CACOL leader affirmed that, “The EFCC is not owned by the late Sanni Abacha or his family. It is owned by Nigeria, institutionalized and empowered by the Constitution to fight against Corruption and that is exactly what the Commission is doing! It is impish to avoid the main issue at hand and navigate matters to a slope that leads nowhere.”
Adeniran called on the EFCC to continue and intensify investigations on the mentioned names and be sure to bring to book everyone found culpable in the Oil Scam because no one is above the law. “This is one scandal that has lingered on for too long and we know this is apparently because of the suspected personalities who seem to be ‘above the law’. Therefore, Adoke’s claims should be investigated profoundly by the EFCC and if there are grounds established against persons to have erred against our extant laws, then, they should be prosecuted accordingly regardless of how ‘highly’ placed they are in the society.”
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