Adoke’s stay at the EFCC extended by another 14 days

A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke is not about to experience freedom anytime soon as Justice Othman Musa of Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to keep him for another 14 days, preparatory to his arraignment.
In granting the application, the Judge stated that “the extension of the remand of the respondent for another 14 days for the purpose of his arraignment in court is necessary and granted as prayed.”
The Commission arrested Adoke on December 19, 2019, upon his arrival from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Adoke, who fled the country in 2015, has pending criminal charge of alleged abuse of office and money laundering in respect of the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.
The government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo had revoked the OPL 245, which the late General Sani Abacha granted Dan Etete, his then Petroleum Minister, and reassigned it to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO.
Etete’s Malabu Oil and Gas, however, reclaimed the oil block in 2006 through the court.
While Shell challenged the decision, a ‘fraudulent settlement and resolution’ was consummated under President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, with Shell and ENI buying the oil block from Malabu in the sum of $1.1billion.