Court Absolves Ex-Minister Adoke Of Criminal Charges

A Federal Capital Territory high Court sitting in Jabi, has dismissed charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The presiding Judge, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, in his ruling on the “no case” submission made by Adoke, said the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering and ruled that the defendant has no case to answer.

The court then discharged and acquitted the former minister on all counts.

The Judge said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or any authority.

On the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Aliyu Abubakar, the court ruled that the EFCC did not provide the necessary evidence to prove its case.

Nigeria has now lost virtually all the OPL 245 cases it filed or joined in Italy, the UK and Nigeria.

This is expected to finally bring litigation over the OPL 245 saga to a close.

The EFCC had earlier conceded that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the ‘no case’ application by Adoke, who was listed as first defendant — although it insisted that Rasky Gbinigie had a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd.