Joseph Bakare
Former attorney general Mohammed Adoke, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, upon his return home on Thursday, the commission said in a statement.
The arrest was part of an investigation into one of the oil industry’s biggest suspected corruption scandals.
Adoke was arrested by Interpol in November after traveling to Dubai for a medical appointment but he voluntarily flew back to Nigeria on Thursday, his lawyer said.
The EFCC, investigation relates to the $1.3 billion sale of a Nigerian offshore oilfield known as OPL 245 by Malabu Oil and Gas in 2011.
Eni SpA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc jointly acquired the field from Malabu, which was owned by former petroleum minister Dan Etete.
The sale of the oil field has spawned legal cases across several countries, involving Nigerian government officials and senior executives from Eni and Royal Dutch Shell.
Shell and Eni, and their executives, have denied any wrongdoing. Etete has also denied wrongdoing.
“His return to Nigeria clears the way for him to answer to the charges against him,” the EFCC said in a statement, following Adoke’s return to Nigeria.
Adoke’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, said the former attorney general was released by Interpol and Dubai authorities after “finding nothing criminal against him.”
“Our client remains very confident that he will be vindicated in the court of law and justice at the end of the day, after a free and fair trial,” Ozekhome said in a written statement.
Adoke served as attorney general from 2010 to 2015.
Ozekhome previously said his client had appeared in court in Nigeria in the past over the OPL 245 case and was exonerated.
Spotting a white Kaftan with a white cap, Adoke arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard Emirates flight (Boeing 777 -300ER) at 3.45pm.
He was however picked up by EFCC operatives and transferred into a Toyota bus marked RBC 931 BV while reading a book he brought from Dubai.
Adoke’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome(SAN), in a statement, said Adoke returned on his own volition because he has nothing to fear.
He said Adoke is not afraid of trial.
The statement reads in part: “Our client told them that he was ready to return to Nigeria on his own accord after his medicals; yet, they still kept him in illegal custody for over one month, after running into a legal logjam. It was very clear to them that the Government of Nigeria did not have any legal basis or grounds to extradite Mr Adoke back to Nigeria.
The ex- Minister said he decided to come back to the country based on legal advice.
The statement added: “Adoke, based on our legal advice, has therefore decided to break this unnecessary logjam and simulated stalemate that are already causing Nigeria international embarrassment by buying his own ticket to return to Nigeria voluntarily and peaceably, instead of going to another country of his choice.”
