Mohammed Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, says he has forgiven everyone behind his ordeal in the prosecution of the OPL 245 oil block litigation.
Adoke spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the public presentation of his memoir, OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 billion Nigerian oil block.
He said the motive behind the book was not to denigrate anyone but to set the records straight.
The former AGF said he suffered reputation damage over the lawful role he played in the implementation of the agreement pertaining to the OPL 245 case.
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He accused the investigators and prosecutors of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of suppressing evidence and intimidating witnesses to secure conviction in the OPL 245 case.
“I did not set out to denigrate anyone but to set the records straight and provide valuable insights into a transaction that was not only carried out in furtherance of the national interest but also to safeguard Nigeria’s economic interest as it relates to exploitation of our hydrocarbon resources,” he said.
“Although I was not a party to the 2006 agreement which preceded my appointment as the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, my traducers – state and non-state actors alike — ensured that I suffer immense public odium, loss of reputation, and family life for the role I played in ensuring the implementation of an agreement in 2011.
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“Notwithstanding, I was only carrying out the lawful directive of the president in the exercise of his executive powers under the Constitution.
“Permit me to say that I have forgiven all those who had a hand in my ordeal.
“With the public presentation of this book, I say boldly and clearly that I admired the courage of Ibrahim Mustapha Magu in coming forward to make up with me, apologise to me, and sympathise for the role each and every one of them played in my travail. I have forgiven him.”
ADOKE ARRESTED, ARRAIGNED, DISCHARGED OVER OPL 245 CASE
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OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998 by the administration of Sani Abacha, a former military head of state.
But the deal was later revoked by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001.
However, the block later became the focus of global corruption investigations, criminal prosecutions, and civil lawsuits after Malabu sold its entire stake to Shell and Eni for $1.1 billion in 2011.
The oil companies also paid a $210 million signature bonus to the Nigerian government.
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Both local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) alleged that the $1.1 billion payment to Malabu was a disguised bribe to Nigerian politicians who facilitated the transaction.
Adoke oversaw the Shell-Eni deal during his tenure. He was the AGF from April 2010 to May 2015.
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In 2019, the EFCC arrested Adoke over alleged abuse of office and money laundering pertaining to the OPL 245 case
Subsequently, criminal charges were preferred against him by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Italian prosecutors also brought charges in Milan against Shell, Eni, Dan Etete (the former petroleum minister behind the Malabu deal), and other individuals.
Also, the Nigerian government pursued a $1.7 billion compensation claim against JP Morgan in the United Kingdom (UK), accusing the bank of improperly transferring proceeds from the OPL 245 sale.
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Ultimately, courts in Italy, the UK, and Nigeria ruled that there was no evidence of corruption or proof that Nigeria was defrauded.
Investigations by the US department of justice, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Dutch authorities were also dropped due to lack of incriminating evidence.
Adoke was acquitted and discharged by two federal high courts in Abuja on the related charges.
