Malabu oil scandal: Court issues warrant of arrest against former Ministers Mohammed Adoke, Dan Etete

                                     

Justice D.Z Senchi of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, today April 17th, issued a Warrant of Arrest against former Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke and a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete over their role in the Malabu oil scandal.

Adoke, a Minister of Justice under Goodluck Jonathan and Etete, a Minister of Petroleum during Sani Abacha’s government were both indicted in the shady $1.1bn Malabu bribery scandal. Also involved in the deal are international oil companies, 333Shell And Eni who are currently undergoing trials in Italy due to their involvement in one of Nigeria’s biggest oil scandal.

Also declared wanted were Raph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujato Stefeno, and Burrato Sebastiano. They were meant to be arraigned before Justice Senchi on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 to face charges related to the Malabu Oil Scandal but failed to show up.

The EFCC had since 2017 pressed charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Co. Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Eni Spa, Raph Wetzels, Casula Roberto, Pujato Stefeno, Burrato Sebastiano, Duazia Louya Etete (aka Dan Etete), Mohammed Bello Adoke, Aliyu Abubakar and Malabu Oil & Gas Limited. All the defendants declared wanted had repeatedly failed to appear before the court.

In view of their persistent absence in court, the EFCC had through its counsel, Aliyu Yusuf, brought a motion ex parte praying the court for a warrant of their arrest, and an order for leave to execute the warrant outside of the jurisdiction of the court.

At today’s proceeding, Justice Senchi, granted the prayers of the EFCC, and ruled that the Nigeria Police, the INTERPOL and any other law enforcement agency should arrest them anywhere they were found including outside jurisdiction of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) High Court.

The matter was adjourned to July 11, 2019 for further hearing.