Adoke Accuses Buhari, Osinbajo, NGOs in Malabu Oil Scandal
- Admin
- Jul 8
- 4 min read
In a bombshell tell-all book, OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigerian Oil Block, former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Bello Adoke has laid bare what he describes as a grand conspiracy that turned one of Nigeria’s largest oil deals into a global legal battlefield. The book, published by The Conrad Press Ltd in the UK, is set to be officially unveiled in Abuja this Thursday.
Adoke offers an insider’s account of the controversial Malabu Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 transaction, accusing former President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former AGF Abubakar Malami, several lawyers, and both local and international NGOs of using the case to pursue personal agendas.
The Malabu Saga: A Brief Background
The roots of the Malabu OPL 245 saga stretch back to 1998 when Nigeria’s then-military ruler, General Sani Abacha, awarded Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd. In 2011, Malabu sold its interest in the block to oil giants Shell and Eni for $1.1 billion, with an additional $210 million paid as a signature bonus to the Nigerian government.
The deal, however, attracted global scrutiny. NGOs and anti-corruption campaigners alleged that the $1.1 billion was a disguised bribe to Nigerian politicians involved in facilitating the transaction.
Buhari’s Personal Agenda and the Criminalization of OPL 245
Adoke claims that President Buhari's intervention in the matter was driven by personal motives rather than national interest. According to him, Buhari sought to punish Adoke for allegedly refusing to facilitate payments to Mohammed Sani Abacha, the son of the late dictator who was originally awarded the oil block.
“Everyone had a personal agenda,” Adoke writes. He alleges that the Buhari administration sought to criminalize the Malabu deal, using legal action both domestically and internationally as a weapon.
In his words, “It was a cruel coalition of gold diggers, glory hunters, and avengers.”
The Roles of Osinbajo and Malami: Ambition Meets Opportunity
Adoke details how former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, acting as the de facto Attorney-General in Buhari’s first six months in office, played a central role by chairing the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR). Osinbajo, Adoke claims, wanted to demonstrate his legal prowess by extracting billions from Shell and Eni through litigation.
The former AGF also accuses Osinbajo of aligning with lawyers, including Olabode Johnson, who were eyeing significant commissions from any successful legal actions against the oil companies.
Abubakar Malami, who succeeded Adoke as AGF, is also implicated. Adoke suggests Malami’s past legal work for the Abacha family provided him with both motive and opportunity to pursue the Malabu case aggressively. “He had not just Buhari to please but also the Abachas,” Adoke alleges.
The International Dimension: NGOs and Prosecutors in the Crosshairs
Adoke extends his criticism to international NGOs such as Global Witness, accusing them of waging a selective anti-corruption campaign fueled by the pursuit of donor funding and international recognition.
He accuses Global Witness and its Nigerian partners, such as HEDA Resource Centre, of spreading falsehoods and presenting distorted narratives. According to Adoke, their advocacy influenced not only public perception but also judicial processes in Italy, the UK, and Nigeria.
A key figure in Adoke’s narrative is Fabio De Pasquale, the Italian prosecutor who led the prosecution of Shell, Eni, and several executives in Milan. Adoke alleges that De Pasquale’s real ambition was to bolster his anti-corruption credentials by taking down high-profile targets linked to the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Legal Battles Across Borders: How Nigeria Went Global with the Malabu Case
The Buhari government pursued legal cases not only within Nigeria but also in foreign jurisdictions. Nigeria:
Filed for $1.7 billion in damages against JP Morgan Chase in the UK, accusing the bank of negligence in transferring the $801 million Malabu payment.
Sought to recover the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni via civil litigation.
Applied to join Italy’s corruption trial as an injured party.
Despite these efforts, courts in Italy, the UK, and Nigeria consistently ruled that there was no evidence of corruption in the OPL 245 transaction. Adoke himself was acquitted by two Nigerian federal high courts.
US authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, also dropped their investigations after finding no wrongdoing.
The “Grand Conspiracy” Hatched in Abuja
According to Adoke, the campaign against him was orchestrated at the highest levels of government. He reveals that Italian prosecutors visited Nigeria in late 2015, holding closed-door meetings with Vice President Osinbajo, the late Abba Kyari (Buhari's Chief of Staff), and anti-corruption officials.
The alleged plan included:
Filing charges against Adoke to strengthen Italy’s corruption case.
Mobilizing NGOs and international media to paint the OPL 245 deal as corrupt.
Coordinating government agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to carry out arrests and asset seizures.
Adoke describes this coalition as an alliance of opportunists who pursued litigation not for justice but for personal gain and political revenge.
The Role of Media and Public Perception
Adoke argues that both local and international media were manipulated into spreading a “false, shallow, and libelous narrative.” He claims that organizations such as HEDA and Global Witness used their platforms to unfairly malign him, while the EFCC coordinated public relations offensives to fuel outrage.
“This was not about fighting corruption,” Adoke insists. “It was about character assassination, political vendetta, and financial opportunism.”
A Cautionary Tale of Governance, Justice, and Reputation
In the concluding chapters of the book, Adoke reflects on the personal cost of the Malabu saga his arrest, detention, public vilification, and eventual exoneration. He argues that the case exposes deeper issues within Nigerian governance, where personal ambition and international influence can conspire to undermine justice.
By publishing his side of the story, Adoke says he hopes to “set the record straight” and offer future generations insight into the dangers of politicizing justice.
Final Thoughts
The presentation of Adoke’s book will be televised live on Channels TV from 11 a.m. on Thursday. As the OPL 245 saga continues to cast its shadow over Nigeria’s legal and political landscape, this new revelation is sure to spark fresh debate over corruption, governance, and the true cost of power plays in Africa’s largest oil-producing nation.
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