Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, on Thursday presented his memoir titled OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block, drawing a high-profile audience that included Vice President Kashim Shettima, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

The book launch, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, focused on Adoke’s account of the controversial OPL 245 oil block deal, which led to years of legal battles and international scrutiny.

Adoke said the publication was intended to clarify the events surrounding the case rather than apportion blame.

“This book is not to denigrate anyone,” Adoke stated. “It is to set the records straight. I have forgiven everyone behind the ordeal I went through.”
Adoke recounted that after receiving favourable judgments from various courts, he had considered returning to exile.

According to him, it was Vice President Shettima who persuaded him to return to Nigeria and confront the issues head-on. “It was Shettima who called and asked me to come back and put a closure to this chapter,” he said.

Vice President Shettima, in his remarks, praised Adoke for his decision to publicly share his side of the OPL 245 saga. “Our stories do not belong to us alone; they belong to the public and to history. Every accused person must speak. The pages of this book will inspire debate,” Shettima said.

He also commended the former minister’s willingness to forgive. “I admire Adoke for standing by his convictions,” the vice president added.

Also speaking at the event, former Senate President Bukola Saraki highlighted the importance of transparency in Nigeria’s oil sector. “The oil sector is such an important part of our economy. We need to make the process more transparent and accountable,” Saraki said.

Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, echoed similar sentiments, noting the broader significance of the memoir. “Books like this are necessary to enable those who were persecuted to put things in perspective,” he said.

The memoir provides Adoke’s detailed narrative of the OPL 245 transaction—an oil block deal originally awarded in 1998—that later became the subject of international investigations and legal proceedings in multiple jurisdictions.

The launch event was attended by members of the legal community, diplomats, government officials, and members of the press. The book is expected to contribute to ongoing discourse about the intersection of governance, law, and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive industries.