The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dropped charges against former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Mohammed Adoke, in his alleged complicity in the Malabu Oil and Gas deal.
This came as a response to the no-case submissions made by Adoke and five other defendants dated December 2023.
EFCC’s counsel Offem Uket agreed that the testimonies of its 10 witnesses called in the case as well as evidence led were not strong enough to pin the six defendants to the allegations of criminal offences preferred against them.
EFCC, however, told the court that a prima facie case was successfully made against the third defendant and as such, should be ordered to enter his defence in the 35-count criminal charge.
In 2020, the Federal Government arraigned Adoke, Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie, Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd., Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd., Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Ltd., and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited over alleged complicity in the sale of Operating Mining Licence (OPL 45), otherwise known as Malabu Oil.
The defendants were jointly charged with varying sets of offences and arraigned on a 40-count further amended charge dated February 1, 2023 and filed on February 3, 2023.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Rather than opening their defence, the defendants argued that the prosecution failed to establish credible evidence linking them to the said charge and urged the court to dismiss and acquit them of any allegations of wrongdoing.
Uket said, “The decision is anchored on the paucity of evidence available to sustain any of the ingredients required to establish each of the offences preferred against the six defendants.”
