The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has warned the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that Malabu oil deal scandal is not swept under the carpet.
CACOL demanded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to bring former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), to court by any means possible, explaining that the case is becoming too stale.
CACOL agitated that Adoke whose trial has been in court since December 21, 2016, had not appeared in court till date but has continually responded through letters, press statements and other means to the EFCC from his base in Netherlands.
CACOL lamented that Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in his ruling on Tuesday, refused to grant EFCC’s request for a warrant to facilitate the arrest of the former AGF, stating that the Commission does not need a warrant of arrest to produce the accused in court.
Mr. Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman of CACOL, while responding to the ruling on EFCC’s request for an arrest warrant for Adoke, said “the ruling is too vague and feared that it has some undertones.”
He urged the EFCC to do whatever is right within its constitutional powers to bring the former Attorney General back to the country for him to face charges in the law court and be duly prosecuted alongside others who were involved in the Malabu Oil Scam.
He said, “Adoke cannot be greater than Nigeria which means that he is not above the law.
He should be brought to face his trial in the law court. It is insolent of him and his lawyers that they had never appeared in court since the beginning of his trial; his actions underrate and undermine the powers and acts of the anti-graft agency which is established by the constitution to arrest and prosecute corruption criminals.”
“The EFCC should go ahead and relate with the Interpol for Adoke’s arrest and if that proves abortive, then they can now insist for an arrest warrant from the court,” CACOL Chairman declared.
Adeniran also said that the anti-graft-agency needs to be proactive in their intelligence gathering, investigations and diligent prosecutions.
“The reason for these unnecessary gimmicks by Adoke is to allow the case ‘die a natural death’ like the traditional practice all high profile corruption suspects are wont to do. The EFCC needs to be painstaking in its operations; work intelligently and should always be a step ahead of suspected corruption criminals particularly when they are high profile ones.
Nigerians deserve justice and are looking up to both the EFCC and the Judiciary to bring them exactly that.”
He declared: “CACOL has been following the matter closely from inception till date. No one should be spared in this case, Adoke has mentioned some ‘powerful’ names. We insist that those mentioned should be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, and if found guilty, they should be punished according to the law.”