Adoke Seeks Apology from FG Over OPL 245 Ordeal

 

Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke, has called on the Nigerian government to apologise to him over what he described as the humiliation he endured during the OPL 245 controversy.

Adoke made the remark in Abuja on Tuesday while presenting his new book, OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigerian Oil Block.

OPL 245, awarded to Malabu in 1998 under the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s administration, later became embroiled in international corruption probes and legal battles after the company sold its stake for $1.1 billion to Shell and Eni in 2011. The transaction also included a $210 million signature bonus paid to the federal government.

Reports indicate that the licence was revoked by President Olusegun Obasanjo over irregularities in the block’s allocation and the opaque shareholding structure linked to former petroleum minister Dan Etete. However, documents seen by The Nation suggest that agreements between Malabu and the Obasanjo administration did exist.

Adoke, who faced criminal charges filed by the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, was later discharged and acquitted by two federal high courts in Abuja. Investigations in Italy, the UK, the US, and the Netherlands concluded without any charges.

“I deserve an apology,” Adoke said, noting the strain, stress, and public embarrassment he endured unnecessarily. “After all the court cases vindicated me, I thought the government should have apologised. But I have moved on with my life.”

He also alleged that high-profile figures sought to acquire 60 percent of OPL 245, and the refusal of Malabu to cede control was the true reason behind the licence revocation. “Some of these individuals were known associates of Obasanjo and Atiku,” he said.

Adoke described Obasanjo’s actions as an error of judgement that did not serve Nigeria’s best interests. He further criticised the former president for denying approval of the licence despite documents proving otherwise.

“When he made that denial, I published documents showing he gave the approval. He refused to apologise and remained silent,” Adoke said.