Adoke raises the alarm, says EFCC planning to abduct him

Mohammed Adoke, former attorney-general of the
federation and minister of justice, says he is aware of the threats
on his life and the alleged plan of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “illegally abduct and forcibly drag him
to Nigeria.”

Adoke in a statement on Sunday said the anti-graft agency was
working on the order of the presidency to humiliate and detain him
for challenging his “continuous persecution, intimidation and
harassment by the EFCC” in court.

Adoke said he had made effort to explain to the EFCC and the
attorney general of the federation his role in the controversial
the OPL 245 settlement agreement between the federal government and
Malabu Oil & Gas Limited which was brokered by the
administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

He added that despite his efforts, those whose interest he did
not uphold using the benefit of his office took to persecuting
him.

On May 6, unidentified gunmen invaded the home of Bashir, his
younger brother, in search of “hidden dollars”.

Alsom on July 14, a team of policemen invaded the country home
of Adoke in Okene, Kogi state.

“I made spirited efforts to engage with relevant officials of
government including the EFCC, the office of the attorney general
of the federation and the presidency to furnish them with all the
information in respect of the OPL 245 settlement agreement between
the federal government of Nigeria and Malabu Oil & Gas Limited
which was brokered by the administration of President Olusegun
Obasanjo, GCFR,” Adoke said.

“I also furnished copies of relevant agreements and presidential
approvals to implement the settlement agreement; evidence that the
signature bonus of US$210 million due to government was duly paid
and that all the officials that were involved in the implementation
of the settlement agreement acted in furtherance of the requisite
presidential approval to actualize government’s desire to end a
long standing dispute over the ownership and operation of Block 245
that had prevented the commercial exploitation of the block for the
benefit of the country.

“Despite my best endeavour to explain the transaction, it became
obvious that those who felt aggrieved by my refusal to use my
office to further their interests in Malabu Oil & Gas Limited,
(the beneficiary of the OPL 245 Settlement Agreement) were intent
on impugning the transaction in order to strengthen the hands of
their collaborators in government to repudiate settlement.

“It was against this background that I approached the federal
high court for interpretation of the provisions of sections 5(1);
147, 148, and 150 of the constitution of the federal republic of
Nigeria, 1999 as amended in order to determine whether as a
minister in the government of the federation, I could incur
criminal liability for carrying out the lawful directives of the
president and commander-in-chief, particularly where it has not
been shown that I acted in excess of such authority or
directive.

“I was made to understand this move did not go down well with
certain persons in the presidency and the EFCC, hence the renewed
harassment and intimidation that followed in form of searches of my
residences in Kano and Okene and that of my brother.

“I have petitioned the UN special rapporteur on the Independence
of judges and lawyers about my plight and the deliberate efforts
being made by the EFCC and the government to deny me my livelihood,
family life, as well as my legitimate right to fundamental
freedoms.

“I therefore wish to use this medium to once more sensitise
Nigerians and the international community about the flagrant abuse
of my rights being perpetrated by Nigerian authorities under the
guise of fighting corruption and the plan to illegally abduct me
against all known international laws, rules and norms in order to
forcibly take me to Nigeria akin to the botched ‘Umaru Dikko Saga’
in the UK in 1984 for the sole purpose of humiliating and illegally
detaining me indefinitely for daring to challenge the actions
/illegalities of the EFCC before Nigerian courts and relevant UN
human rights mechanisms.”

Mohammed Adoke, former attorney-general of the
federation and minister of justice, says he is aware of the threats
on his life and the alleged plan of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “illegally abduct and forcibly drag him
to Nigeria.”

Adoke in a statement on Sunday said the anti-graft agency was
working on the order of the presidency to humiliate and detain him
for challenging his “continuous persecution, intimidation and
harassment by the EFCC” in court.

Adoke said he had made effort to explain to the EFCC and the
attorney general of the federation his role in the controversial
the OPL 245 settlement agreement between the federal government and
Malabu Oil & Gas Limited which was brokered by the
administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

He added that despite his efforts, those whose interest he did
not uphold using the benefit of his office took to persecuting
him.

On May 6, unidentified gunmen invaded the home of Bashir, his
younger brother, in search of “hidden dollars”.

Alsom on July 14, a team of policemen invaded the country home
of Adoke in Okene, Kogi state.

“I made spirited efforts to engage with relevant officials of
government including the EFCC, the office of the attorney general
of the federation and the presidency to furnish them with all the
information in respect of the OPL 245 settlement agreement between
the federal government of Nigeria and Malabu Oil & Gas Limited
which was brokered by the administration of President Olusegun
Obasanjo, GCFR,” Adoke said.

“I also furnished copies of relevant agreements and presidential
approvals to implement the settlement agreement; evidence that the
signature bonus of US$210 million due to government was duly paid
and that all the officials that were involved in the implementation
of the settlement agreement acted in furtherance of the requisite
presidential approval to actualize government’s desire to end a
long standing dispute over the ownership and operation of Block 245
that had prevented the commercial exploitation of the block for the
benefit of the country.

“Despite my best endeavour to explain the transaction, it became
obvious that those who felt aggrieved by my refusal to use my
office to further their interests in Malabu Oil & Gas Limited,
(the beneficiary of the OPL 245 Settlement Agreement) were intent
on impugning the transaction in order to strengthen the hands of
their collaborators in government to repudiate settlement.

“It was against this background that I approached the federal
high court for interpretation of the provisions of sections 5(1);
147, 148, and 150 of the constitution of the federal republic of
Nigeria, 1999 as amended in order to determine whether as a
minister in the government of the federation, I could incur
criminal liability for carrying out the lawful directives of the
president and commander-in-chief, particularly where it has not
been shown that I acted in excess of such authority or
directive.

“I was made to understand this move did not go down well with
certain persons in the presidency and the EFCC, hence the renewed
harassment and intimidation that followed in form of searches of my
residences in Kano and Okene and that of my brother.

“I have petitioned the UN special rapporteur on the Independence
of judges and lawyers about my plight and the deliberate efforts
being made by the EFCC and the government to deny me my livelihood,
family life, as well as my legitimate right to fundamental
freedoms.

“I therefore wish to use this medium to once more sensitise
Nigerians and the international community about the flagrant abuse
of my rights being perpetrated by Nigerian authorities under the
guise of fighting corruption and the plan to illegally abduct me
against all known international laws, rules and norms in order to
forcibly take me to Nigeria akin to the botched ‘Umaru Dikko Saga’
in the UK in 1984 for the sole purpose of humiliating and illegally
detaining me indefinitely for daring to challenge the actions
/illegalities of the EFCC before Nigerian courts and relevant UN
human rights mechanisms.”