Ozekhome queries Adoke’s detention by court, EFCC

Mr. Mike Ozekhome, the lawyer to former Attonthey-General of the Federation Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke, has queried the detention of his client.

Ozekhome said that granting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), 14 days to detain Mr Adoke, for further investigation was “unnecessary” and that ‘of what use is his present incarceration meant to achieve? Is it meant to subdue him? Punish him? Wear him out mentally, physically, spiritually, psychologically and psychically? Deny him justice? Subject him to public ridicule, derision, odium and obloquy?

Ozekhome’s a statement reads: ‘It is quite surprising, if not distressing, to behold EFCC obtaining a two-week detention order to keep Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN in its custody. This is a man they had already charged to court since 2017, even in absentia, whilst he was in the Netherlands pursuing his masters degree in International law,” Ozekhome said.

‘Adoke therefore elected to return to Nigeria voluntarily, purchasing his own ticket by himself, and signing as such, accordingly. I had issued a statement to the effect that Adoke was on his way back to Nigeria and would report to the EFCC with lawyers from my office upon his arrival.

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‘t was therefore a matter of great surprise that the Interpol still arrested him upon arrival and handed him over to the EFCC. Rather than the EFCC immediately arraigning him before a court based on charges already preferred against him even in absentia, it has resorted to obtaining an Ex parte order from the FCT High Court, to detain him for two weeks. We don’t want to believe that Adoke will be persecuted rather than prosecuted.

‘The last time I checked, cases are first thoroughly investigated before a suspect is charged to court as has been done in the Adoke matter. Of what use is his present incarceration meant to achieve? Is it meant to subdue him? Punish him? Wear him out mentally, physically, spiritually, psychologically and psychically? Deny him justice? Subject him to public ridicule, derision, odium and obloquy?

‘Is it meant to negatively put him in the public domain, try him, convict him and sentence him, through media trial? All these will neither help the course of justice,nor promote constitutional democracy, with its corollary in-built safety valves of advancing inalienable human rights and liberties as recognised by extant national, sub-regional, regional and international civil rights instruments.

‘We humbly appeal to the EFCC to accord Adoke administrative bail to take care of his poor health, the very reason he had gone to Dubai. In the event that this fails, we shall immediately take legal steps to vacate this Ex parte order, with a view to protecting our client’s rights and securing his liberty.”

Recalled that on Friday court granted the request of  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain Mohammed Adoke, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice for 14 days.

Adoke was picked up on Dec. 19 by the INTERPOL on his arrival from Dubai at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and handed over to the EFCC.

Justice Othman Musa granted the order after EFCC brought a motion ex-parte through its counsel Ms Fatima Mustapha, seeking to hold the former minister in its custody for 14 days.

The order was to enable the anti-graft agency conclude its investigation on Adoke over corruption allegations.

Adoke returned to the country after five years self exile in Dubai

EFCC had in 2017 filed charges against Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited and 10 others, including Adoke and Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited.

EFCC in the suit marked FCT/HC/CR/124/17, accused the defendants of fraudulently allocating the Oil Prospecting Licence 245, otherwise known as Malabu Oil.

They were also accused of other forms of offences to the tune of about $1.2billion, forgery of bank documents, bribery and corruption.

The alleged $1.2 billion scam involved the transfer of the OPL 245, purportedly from Malabu Oil and Gas Limited to Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company. Limited and Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited. (