According to Kanu Agabi, SAN, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, criminals in Nigeria are allegedly allowed to evade prosecution while innocent people are subjected to protracted legal processes.
During Thursday’s book launch for “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block” in Abuja, Agabi made the accusation.
Mohammed Adoke, SAN, who was the attorney general and minister of justice under President Goodluck Jonathan, reportedly wrote the book, according to the naijatrial.
Agabi, whose lawyer was Mr. Paul Erokoro, SAN, gave a keynote speech in which he characterised the accusations against Adoke in the contentious Malabu oil sale as an injustice. One of the biggest injustices in British history occurred during an incident involving the post service.
“I can confidently say that what happened to Adoke is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our country,” he declared.
According to Agabi, the Nigerian government slandered Adoke even though his acts in the OPL 245 transaction were recognised internationally and backed by the law.
Additionally, he said that it was disappointing because one would expect the government to make a strong case following such overwhelming accusations.
Bode George, a former military governor of Ondo State, was one of the cases brought to the attention of the ex-AGF. The Supreme Court had previously determined that George should never have been indicted, and the court had subsequently reversed his conviction.
He lamented that while real offenders were not facing charges, innocent people were being “dragged through” the legal system. The late General Sani Abacha’s dictatorship was the one that Agabi linked to the OPL 245 agreement.
He said that Shell and Eni eventually agreed to buy the oil block, which contained what was then estimated to be nine billion barrels of crude.
According to Agabi, the deal was finalised while President Goodluck Jonathan was in office, after a series of disagreements and court battles involving international oil corporations.
“The decision of the English court commended Adoke for his extraordinary efforts in shielding Nigeria from shame and enormous financial setbacks,” he stated.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde praised the book in his remarks, calling it a “critical record” of the oil sector in Nigeria and speaking as someone who held institutional responsibility during that time of turmoil.
“The Malabu deal reflected how public resources are governed in Nigeria,” Makinde said, adding that it was about more than just the oil block.
In addition to being an important read, this book is courageous. He emphasised the need to record, debate, and clarify historical events.
The OPL 245 block has nine billion barrels of crude oil, according to Makinde, and this might change Nigeria’s GDP forecast. He explained that the global litigation and controversy around it were caused by this.
In spite of the complicated legal and political interests involved, he thought the book shed light on the management of high-value projects by providing names, dates, context, and repercussions.
According to former Senate President Bukola Saraki, the book stresses the significance of public office accountability and the rule of law.
“I am sure he is not alone,” Saraki remarked, referring to Adoke’s claims that he was a victim of abuse of the rule of law.
Adoke was also praised for chronicling his experience by Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology. Beyond the realm of memoirs, this book delves into other things. It is an accurate report that clarifies things.
The truth underlying the OPL 245 deal was known to me because I have been in the business world for a while,” Nnaji stated.
A deep ocean oil licence agreement from 2011 is at the heart of the OPL 245 scam, which is detailed in a 26-chapter book.
The deep-water oil licence OPL 245 in Nigeria, which is thought to contain nine billion barrels of crude, was acquired by Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni for 1.3 billion USD in a deal.
The federal government proposed a 40-count accusation against Adoke in 2020, which bordered on illegal transactions on the Malibu oil contract. You may recall this.
After a lengthy four-year trial, Adoke and his co-defendants were dismissed by Justice Abubakar Kutigi of an FCT High Court after their lawyers submitted a no-case motion.