TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed charges of “official corruption” against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, ENI SPA, at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court, Abuja, over the $1.1bn Malabu oil scandal.

Also, joined in the charges are Mohammed Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation; Dan Etete, former minister of petroleum; Aliyu Abubakar, a businessman, and Malabu oil and gas.

The oil majors had allegedly bribed Nigerian officials to get an oil prospecting licence for OPL 245, which is considered as one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil blocks.

They had allegedly paid $1.1bn to the Nigerian government for the block in 2011, but $801m out of the money reportedly found its way into the account of Malabu oil and gas, a company owned by Etete where it was later magicked.

But Shell and ENI denied have any wrongdoing.

The charge sheet seen by TheCable showed that the charges were filed on Thursday.

The EFCC had earlier got an interim order from the federal high court, Abuja, for the forfeiture of the oil block to the government.

Also, before these new charges the anti-graft agency had filed similar charges against Adoke, Etete, Abubakar and Malabu oil and gas at the high court, but the matter was never heard.