Adoke alleges indictment by FG’s counsel in Malabu case

Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has petitioned the current AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over his indictment by Nigeria’s counsel, Lucio Lucia, at the ongoing trial of Shell and others by a Milan Court in Italy.

In the letter of complaint dated September 10, which he personally signed, Adoke asked Malami to caution Lucia against trampling upon his fundamental rights.

In the letter, Adoke complained bitterly about the manner Lucia presented him as corrupt and partly responsible for fraud allegations being tried by the Milan court.

The letter alleged that Lucia, in his submission before the court on September 9, on the position of Federal Republic of Nigeria as an injured party entitled to civil compensation, “reaffirmed the indictment of Mr. Adoke and others” in connection with the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement.

“He proceeded to make other bizarre and unfounded allegations to the effect that I was extradited from Dubai for corruption related to OPL 245, knowing fully that nothing of sort ever happened, and with characteristic audacity, he carelessly reconstructed the evidence on my mortgage transaction with Unity Bank Plc which is subject of ongoing criminal proceedings in Nigeria to suit his narrative,” Adoke alleged.

He reminded Malami that his (Adoke) official role as AGF and minister of justice in the implementation of OPL 245 Settlement Agreement was the subject of judicial pronouncement by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on April 13, 2018, which exonerated him from any wrongdoing.

The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had ruled that “the plaintiff cannot be held personally liable for carrying out the lawful approval of the President while he served as a minister of the government of the federation.”

Adoke also noted that apart from the above judicial pronouncement, the OPL 245 Resolution Agreements was a subject of review of two cabinet ministers in the present administration – Malami and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, wherein they did not find him guilty of wrong doing.