Adoke Arraigned In Court Over Alleged $1.2b Malabu Oil Deal

Nigeria’s former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke has been arraigned in court for fraud and money laundering

Adoke was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), on 42 count charges of fraud and money laundering.

The hearing of the case is currently holding at Gwagwalada Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Adoke pleaded not to count one while other counts were still being read to him.

The EFCC had filed the charges in Abuja, after deciding to prosecute the former minister for the role he allegedly played in the controversial Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245, otherwise known as Malabu oil scam.

Adoke was arrested by the EFCC in December last year after returning from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he was first arrested and detained by Interpol.

The anti-graft agency accused the former minister, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep (SNUD), and Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) of conspiracy, forgery of bank documents, bribery, corruption and money laundering to the tune of over $1.2 billion.