The Malabu Oil Scandal: FG Withdraws Charges Against Adoke and Co. Following ‘No-Case Submissions’

In the ongoing legal matter concerning the alleged involvement of former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, along with five others in the Malabu Oil and Gas deal, the federal government has opted not to challenge the no-case submissions put forth by the defendants. This decision comes after the prosecution conceded that the evidence and testimonies of its 10 witnesses were not sufficiently robust to establish a connection between the defendants and the criminal charges they faced.

The defendants, including Adoke and Aliyu Abubakar, were accused of participating in the sale of Operating Mining Licence (OPL 45), also known as Malabu Oil. The federal government had initially brought charges against them in 2020, and the trial commenced with the prosecution presenting 10 witnesses before concluding its case.

Following the prosecution’s failure to establish substantial evidence linking the defendants to the charges, the defendants submitted no-case arguments, contending that there was inadequate evidence against them. In response, the prosecution asserted that there was a prima facie case against the 3rd defendant and requested that he present a defence for a 35-count criminal charge.

The prosecution indicated that the evidence presented in court demonstrated that the 3rd defendant conspired with others to commit criminal breach of trust and forgery. Furthermore, they argued that the 3rd defendant was aware of the details of the company’s board of directors but still proceeded to use forged documents to open accounts in various banks without proper authorization.

While the prosecution agreed not to contest the no-case submissions made by most of the defendants, they maintained that there was sufficient evidence to warrant the 3rd defendant presenting a defence against the charges brought against him. They emphasized that their role in a no-case submission was to highlight whether a prima facie case had been established and not to determine the guilt of the defendants.

In summary, the federal government has chosen not to challenge the no-case submissions made by the majority of the defendants due to the lack of substantial evidence linking them to the alleged criminal offences. However, they are continuing to pursue the case against the 3rd defendant based on the evidence presented in court. The trial will proceed in accordance with the court’s decision on the prosecution’s request for the 3rd defendant to present his defence.