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OPL 245: Court Discharges Ex-Justice Minister Adoke, Reprimands EFCC
Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court yesterday dismissed the charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against a former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court reprimanded the EFCC for filing “frivolous” charges against the AGF.
At the court session yesterday, Justice Kutigi upheld the no-case submission filed by Adoke and s the charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy against the former minister on the grounds that the EFCC failed to adduce credible evidence to prove the allegations contained in the charge.
Although the judge commended the prosecution for conceding that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the no-case application by Adoke, he criticised the anti-graft agency for wasting four years prosecuting the case.
The judge added that the defendants ought not to have been charged in the first instance.
He said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or any authority.
Justice Kutigi said the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering and ruled that the defendant has no case to answer, adding that the EFCC did not provide the necessary evidence to prove that the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Aliyu Abubakar.
The judge further noted that a charge must not be filed just for the purpose of filing, adding that a frivolous charge does damage to the judicial system.
“It is argued that people can be arrested circumstantially,” the judge said.
“But every trial, more so, a criminal trial is a different ball game which must be undertaken with utmost care and attention to details, particularly, the quality of the evidence and availability of witnesses.
“It cannot be right or fair, that in this case, for example, nearly about 30 counts in the case involving forgery, the documents subject to these counts were not presented in evidence and material evidence led to situate the elements of forgery.
“If as stated by the lead investigator, PW10, that they demanded for about 37 documents from the CAC but only a few were made available, this then begs the question, why a charge will be filed involving those documents the prosecution does not have access to?
“I must therefore make the point that the whole trial process whatever its inherent imperfection is entirely evidence driven, evidence which requires quality and probative value.
“This is so whether it is at this stage of situating a prima facie, as in the present situation, or at the point of determining guilt, or otherwise of the defendants.
“Without evidence in either of the two situations, it is self evident that such a case stands compromised ab initio.
“On the whole, the prosecution has failed to prove the essential elements of the offences for which the defendants were charged and accordingly, the no case submission has considerable merit and must be sustained.
“To allow this proceedings to continue having regard to the totality of evidence laid bare on the record by the prosecution is to inflict undue hardship and injustice on the defendants.
“They ought not to have stood trial in the first place if the evidence on record was all the prosecution had to offer.
“The legal consequence of a successful submission of no case to answer is that such a discharge is equivalent to an acquittal, and dismissal of the charge on the merits.
“In my final analysis, and for the avoidance of doubt, my firm decision on the basis of the provision of section 302 of the ACJA 2015 is that the evidence adduced by the prosecution on record is not sufficient to justify the continuation of this trial.
“For this reason, I hereby preclude them from entering upon their defence.
“And accordingly, I hereby dismiss, I hereby discharge the defendants of all the entirity of the charge preferred against them.”
The EFCC had charged Adoke before the FCT High Court, Abuja, on January 15, 2020, along with Aliyu Abubakar, Gbinije of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Ultra Deep Nigeria Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited (SNEPCo).
Adoke was accused of collecting a gratification of N300 million from Abubakar over the OPL 245 resolution.
He was accused of conspiring with other defendants to “commit the offence of public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury or to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture”.
The former AGF was accused of “knowingly disobeying direction of law” by allegedly “saving Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Company Limited from charges of taxes.”
Adoke denied all allegations, maintaining that he was a victim of political victimisation by former president Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of the Abacha family who felt cheated in the OPL 245 transaction.
Adoke and five other defendants were discharged of all the charges, leaving Gbinije, the third defendant to open his defence in the remaining counts.
Former Governor of Delta State, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential running mate in the 2023 election, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okowa confirmed the news of his defection to ARISE NEWS on Wednesday following the announcement of the current governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, who also defected from the PDP to the APC on Wednesday.
The development was disclosed by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at Government House, Asaba.
“All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC,” Manager stated. “We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat.”
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniagwu Charles, officially confirmed the sweeping political shift, attributing the decision to the need for renewed direction and enhanced governance in the state.
“There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state,” he said.
Aniagwu added that the move aimed to sustain progress in law, security, and welfare, likening the PDP to a “palm wine whose taste has changed,” necessitating a change in “drinking party”.
He further indicated that the defection was unanimously agreed upon by key PDP leaders and stakeholders in the state, with a formal public declaration expected on Monday.
“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said.
The mass defection represents a dramatic realignment in Delta State’s political landscape and could significantly alter party dynamics in the broader South-South region, historically a PDP stronghold.
Okowa will be received on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima alongside Governor Oborevwori.
AriseNews
Delta State governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defection was announced after Wednesday’s closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon.
Ahon said the Governor’s decision to switch allegiance to the ruling APC came after thorough discussions with political stakeholders, aimed at fostering long-term development for Delta State.
Governor Oborevwori, who secured victory in the 2023 gubernatorial election under the platform of the PDP, was welcomed by high-ranking APC officials.
The National Assembly has taken a swipe at Pastor Tunde Bakare over his recent criticism of the country’s legislature, describing it as biased.
Bakare, the serving overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, had on Sunday condemned the Senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha-Akpoti Uduaghan; the National Assembly’s ratification of the emergency rule in Rivers State.
“The two main contenders in the ongoing institutional immorality Olympics are the executive and the legislature,” he said.
But on Tuesday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the cleric was biased and crossed the line in his commentary.
“While the Senate respects the right of every citizen – regardless of station – to express views on the state of the nation, we are constrained to respond when such commentary crosses the line into unwarranted invective and misleading assertions that risk eroding public trust in democratic institutions,” the statement by Adaramodu read.
Adaramodu said, “such commentary crosses the line into unwarranted invective and misleading assertions that risk eroding public trust in democratic institutions”.
“We view his corrosive criticisms of the National Assembly as a biased and political ecumenical homily,” the statement read.
“The challenges facing our country require dialogue anchored on truth, mutual respect, and a commitment to nation-building, not polarizing rhetoric that undermines confidence in our democratic institutions.”
“We are confident that, in time, with a nuanced review of the performance of the 10th national assembly — within the context of the exigencies of this time and season — Pastor Bakare may, at some point in the future, commend us for acting in the best interest of the people of Nigeria, in line with our constitutional mandate,” the Senator added.
