Despite My Ordeal, My Faith In Nigeria Remains Solid, Says Adoke
FAttorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has said despite his ordeal in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), his faith in Nigeria remains unshaken. Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday, upheld the “no case” submission by Adoke on charges of money laundering filed against him by the anti- graft commission.
The EFCC had charged Adoke and Aliyu Abubakar, a property developer, in 2017 alleging money laundering to the tune of N300 million.
Justice Ekwo said the EFCC did not provide any evidence to prove the essential elements of the offence against Adoke, who was listed as first defendant.
Similarly, the same particulars of the case were also filed against the former AGF, Abubakar and some other defendants before Justice Abubakar Kutigi, judge of the FCT High Court in 2020.
However, on March 28, 2024, Kutigi pointed out the contradiction, while dismissing the charges against Adoke and other defendants, chiding the EFCC for wasting the court’s time for four years.
Both charges were premised on allegations that Adoke received money as a bribe from the sale of the OPL 245 oil block by Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd in 2011.
Applauding the judgments in a statement at the weekend, Adoke described them as a vindication for him.
He said that he leaves all those who contributed to his ordeal to their conscience and the judgment of posterity.
He said his faith in the Nigeria project is not misplaced or shaken, saying the two charges filed at separate courts on the same facts were intended “to annoy and cause me maximum mum discomfort and expense.”
The former AGF said he did no wrong by carrying out ut the President’s lawful directives and that he could, therefore, e, not be held personally liable for discharging my responsibilities. ities. He described his trial as ‘ a political witch hunt and scapegoategoatism’, as the EFCC needed to hang corruption charges on his neck as a way of sustaining the federal government’s claims laims against the implementation of the Settlement Agreement ent in foreign jurisdictions such as Milan- Italy, the United States tes of America and the United Kingdom.
Speaking on the court’s ruling, Adoke said: “It will be recalled called that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Coram oram Abubakar Kutigi, J, had on Thursday, 28th March 2024, similarmilarly upheld the no- case submission I made to the charges s filed against me. The EFCC had, in their wisdom and in the exercise ercise of their prosecutorial powers, filed charges on the same e facts in different courts to annoy and cause me maximum discomscomfort and expense.
“Nigerians will recall that I served the country in the exalted xalted position of Honourable Attorney General of the Federation ration and Minister of Justice from April 2010 to May 29, 2015. During uring that period, I received Presidential Approval/ Directive ve to implement the subsisting 2006 Settlement Agreement ment between the FGN and Malabu, which at the material time e had been reduced into a consent judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“When the EFCC, at the instigation of some powerful persons rsons in the country, ostensibly because of the enabling political tical environment, began their shenanigans sometime in 2015, 15, I took out an Originating Summons against the FGN praying the Federal High Court, Abuja, to determine whether I, acting as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in the Government of the Federation could be held personally liable for carrying out or implementing the Presidential Approvals/ Directives of the President in exercise of his powers under section 5 and
148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999.