Godwin Tsa Abuja
Hearing in the bail application brought by the detained former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke suffered a major set back on Tuesday before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The development came as Justice Othman Musa has ordered the return of the case file involving Adoke to the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Ishaq Bello, after the expiration of the 14 days allowed for Mr Adoke’s detention.
The court had on December 20, 2019, granted an exparte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to detain Adoke for 14 days in it’s custody to enable it round up it’s investigation.
The legal life of the detention order will expire on January 2, 2020.
Although Adoke had through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, filed a bail application before the court, it was not moved in court on Tuesday.
A lawyer from the Chambers of Ozekhome, Benson Iganoi, informed the court that although they had their application for Mr Adoke’s bail, they needed time to respond to counter applications brought by the EFCC.
Mr Adoke had been held for over a month in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, following a request by the EFCC through INTERPOL before he returned to Nigeria on December 19.
Mr Adoke who has been on a self imposed exile since 2015, has pending criminal charges brought against him by the commission for his alleged role in the scandal that followed the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.
The controversial contract had resulted in the payment of $1.1 billion dollars to accounts controlled by an ex-convict and former petroleum minister, Dan Etete by Shell and ENI
Mr Adoke has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
The allegations has however resulted in international prosecution of suspects linked to the matter.