Malabu: Adoke, others arraigned, remanded in EFCC custody

The Federal Government yesterday arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, on a 42-count charge bothering on alleged fraud in the Malabu oil deal.

The former AGF and his codefendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to them before an FCT High Court in Gwagwalada. The co-defendants are: Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie and Malabu Oil and Gas, Nigeria Agip Exploration, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company

Limited. They were charged by the EFCC with alleged fraudulent activities in the $1.1b Malabu oil deal.

Prosecution counsel, Bala Sanga, asked the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Services pending the hearing of their bail applications. He added that he was served with the applications on Wednesday and would need five days to respond to the affidavits attached to the applications.

However, counsel for the defendants, asked the court to remand their clients in the custody of the EFCC and allow the bail applications to be heard on Friday.

The trial judge, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, thereafter stood the matter down for five minutes to allow the parties to agree on the issues.

Wole Olanipekun, counsel for Abubakar, who spoke on behalf of all the defence counsel, told the court that they have agreed to return to the court on January 27 for the hearing of the bail applications and that the prosecution counsel had also conceded that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody. The judge adjourned the matter to January 27 for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.