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Malabu oil probe: EFCC sacks prosecutor accused of taking bribes

Published

2 months ago

April 5, 2024

Malabu oil probe: EFCC sacks prosecutor accused of taking bribes

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has parted ways with one of its top prosecutors amid a sprawling probe into how a high-profile case was bungled last month.

The anti-corruption office received a severe reprimand from a federal judge last week during a verdict on the criminal bribery case involving former attorney-general Bello Adoke, the proprietors of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, and multinational giants Eni and Shell. Justice Abubakar Kutigi threw out the case, which the EFCC first filed in 2020 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, saying the agency wasted four years yet was still unable to prove key elements of its indictment.

The case was the last serious attempt by the Nigerian government to impose accountability on organisations and individuals with suspected ties to the vast corruption that has for years plagued the possession of Nigeria’s deepwater OPL 245 oil block. The new Tinubu administration had already abandoned the civil liability strand of the controversial deal in favour of a lucrative business deal with the oil firms, Peoples Gazette previously reported.

Officials managing the situation told The Gazette the EFCC brass moved quickly to castigate Offem Uket as the wellspring of untold humiliation the agency suffered in court after he suddenly said there was no inculpatory evidence to send Mr Adoke and another suspect Abubakar Aliyu to jail or foist criminal liability on Eni and Shell.

Mr Uket, one of the agency’s prolific prosecutors who earlier handled cases involving Stella Oduah, Peter Nwaoboshi and Sambo Dasuki, was terminated because the agency’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was particularly incensed by the prosecutor’s alleged misconduct, according to multiple officials briefed on the matter.

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“He was sacked because extensive internal investigation revealed he compromised the case,” an official familiar told The Gazette. “But this may not be the end of the matter.”

The official said the EFCC planned to fight to resuscitate the case through an appeal process because there was enough evidence against the suspects and Mr Uket went rogue in his submission declaring otherwise before the court.

The agency initially tried to save the case in Mr Kutigi’s courtroom, but Mr Adoke and Wole Olanipekun — defence attorney for Mr Abubakar — filed opposing motions and the judge said it was already too late.

Prior to his controversial submission that led to the granting of the defendants’ motion to dismiss, Mr Uket had told some of his office that he was under pressure to accept bribes from Messrs Adoke and Olanipekun, officials said under anonymity to discuss an active investigation.

“He reported to the office that he was under pressure of financial inducement from Bello Adoke and Wole Olanipekun over the case,” another official said. “But we thought he was just following internal ethical compliance by informing the office, we didn’t know this would happen.”

The Gazette was not immediately able to ascertain the steepness of Mr Uket’s ties to the suspects. He did not return a request seeking comment, but some of his colleagues said his action came as a shock because he had displayed his mettle as some of the agency’s best hands.

One of the officials said Mr Uket’s contract was not renewed as part of the fallout from the botched trial, adding that he departed on a good note with the agency’s executives.

“His contract expired around the time he was accused of sabotaging the Malabu case,” one official said. “That’s why it was amicably decided that he should not be granted a renewal.”

Officials did not immediately convey whether or not the probe would remain limited to Mr Uket or be expanded to include those suspected of having offered bribes to the ousted prosecutor.

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The 1991 graduate of the University of Nigeria Nsukka joined the police shortly after completing school, from where he moved to the EFCC as a contractor in the aughts. His ouster may leave a vacuum in the agency’s pool of prosecutors and marked only the latest in charges bordering on prosecutorial sabotage. For several years, attorney Festus Keyamo was bruised from charges that he sabotaged cases while serving as a contractor prosecuting cases for the EFCC during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Mr Keyamo later teamed up with some of the politicians he was purportedly prosecuting in the All Progressives Congress and went on to clinch ministerial position twice, including now as aviation minister under President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Olanipekun declined comments over two days. But Mr Adoke, who stepped down a criminal case against Mr Tinubu in 2011, said he did not offer bribes to the official, accusing the EFCC of being out to further besmirch his reputation after beating the agency’s charges in several courts in and out of Nigeria.

“Not in this world would I offer Uket bribe or anyone for that matter,” the former attorney-general said in a statement to The Gazette. “It is unfortunate that anyone would come up with such a lame excuse. I have no reason to offer Uket or anyone bribe.”

“Don’t forget that they lost their cases in London and Milan, and the U.S. Department of Justice and SEC found nothing wrong with the transaction, and ditto the Dutch government. The claim is utterly ridiculous cynical, and irresponsible,” he said.

While the cases against Eni and Shell in Italy were resolved in favour of the multinational giants, they did not necessarily suggest Mr Adoke’s innocence of the bribery allegations because he was not a party in the lawsuits. Moreover, the Italian court said evidence submitted at trial indicated Mr Adoke received $2 million in suspicious payment as part of the 2011 deal.

The Nigerian politician, however, continued to maintain his innocence and has touted the recent judgement in Abuja as his most resounding vindication yet. The EFCC, however, vowed to make the suspects’ victory lap short-term because the case would be handled by a different prosecutor who would effectively itemise evidence on appeal.

Malabu oil probe: EFCC sacks prosecutor accused of taking bribes

News

CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy

Published

7 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Trends Admin

CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso

CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has withdrawn the circular it issued to all commercial banks on May 6, 2024, directing them to implement a compulsory withdrawal of 0.05 per cent from every electronic transaction as cybersecurity levy.

The controversial directive for collection of the levy had attracted nationwide condemnation when the central bank introduced the policy last week, prompting the Presidency to immediately suspend the implementation of the Cybersecurity Levy.

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In a withdrawal circular that was issued by the CBN on Sunday night, it directed the banks not to go ahead with the initial directive, in line with the presidential directive. The apex bank authorities claimed it’s a sign that the present administration was a listening one that prioritises public good.

“Further to this, please be advised that the above referenced circular is hereby withdrawn,” CBN director in charge of payments system, Chibuzo Efobi, and the director, financial policy and regulation, Haruna Mustapha, said in the circular, adding that all banks should “Please be guided accordingly.”

CBN in U-turn withdraws cybersecurity levy

News

Minimum Wage: Labour returns for negotiation with FG Tuesday, looks beyond N100,000

Published

9 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Trends Admin

Minimum Wage: Labour returns for negotiation with FG Tuesday, looks beyond N100,000

The oganised labour says it will honour the invitation by the Federal Government for Tuesday, May 21, 2024 to continue the negotiation for a new minimum wage.

Even as it has announced readiness to back down on its earlier N615,000 proposal, it vowed not to accept N100,000 as the new minimum wage.

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, pulled out of the negotiation meeting last Wednesday when the government offered N48,000 as new minimum wage.

However, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Alhaji Bukar Goni, in a letter to the organised labour calling a meeting to be held tomorrow, indicated interest that the government would shift ground and asked the labour to do so too.

A report by Vanguard quoted the NLC Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, as saying the organised labour would honour the invitation tomorrow but advised the government to be serious.

He said, “Our expectations are that government should be serious this time around. We expect them to take more seriously the issue of wages of workers.”

‘’So if the government is serious, it should not be thinking about N100,000. You know that when you create poor citizens, you create a poorer county,” he added.

News

I’ve never taken bribe since joining police in 2005 – Force PRO Adejobi

Published

1 day ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi

I’ve never taken bribe since joining police in 2005 – Force PRO Adejobi

Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has boasted that he has never for once accepted a bribe of any kind since he started active service as a police officer.

Adejobi, who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), made this revelation in a post on his verified X account on Sunday.

The Force PRO, while responding to a netizen who asked if he had ever taken bribes before, said accepting bribes is a taboo for him as a royal prince.

According to him, accepting a bribe is not just ungodly but also affects someone somewhere anytime it is taken.

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He noted that the essence of life is to put smiles on the faces of others and not to be the source of their tears.

He further revealed that he has taken it upon himself to preach against accepting bribery to his fellow police officers and other people around him.

He wrote, “No. It’s a taboo for a royal prince to take a bribe. Taking bribe definitely makes someone somewhere cry for many reasons, and it’s ungodly to do so. Your main purpose in life is to put smiles on people’s faces. It’s Godly and rewarding. It’s my personal principle and a call to duty. I preach this to my colleagues and many others always. May we have the grace to remain steadfast and purposeful in life.”

Adejobi, who is a prince from Orile-Owu Community in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State, was reappointed as the Force PRO by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, in August 2023.