$1.2b Malabu Oil Fraud: Court Grants N50m bail On Adoke

An Abuja High Court in Gwagwalada on Thursday granted N50 million bail to embattled former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

Justice Abubakar Kutigi, in his ruling endorsed Adoke’s bail requested, and ordered him to produce a surety in like sum.

The judge also granted Adoke’s co-defendants- Aliyu Abubakar and Rasky Gbinigie bail pending the determination of corruption allegations against them.

While he gave Abubakar bail in the sum of N50 million, Gbinijie got bail at N10 million.

According to Kutigi, the sureties must be responsible citizens, who must depose affidavits of means.

He added that the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and must own verifiable landed properties worth the bail sum.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Adoke on 42 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering.

Adoke was arraigned alongside six others. They Pleaded not guilty.

Adoke is accused of using public office for gratification, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 115(a) of the Panel Code, Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)1990 and punishable under Section 115(i) of the same Penal Code.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Muhammed Bello Adoke, while being a public servant, as attorney-general and minister of Justice of the federation, sometime in August 2013, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, accepted from Aliyu Abubakar for yourself a gratification of US dollars equivalent of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only other than lawful remuneration, as a motive for facilitating and negotiating the Block 245 Resolution Agreement with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 115(a) of the Penal Code, Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)1990 and punishable under Section 115(i) of the same Penal Code.”