Godwin Tsa Abuja

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama, Abuja, yesterday, threatened to return the case file of detained former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) to the Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, after the expiration of the 14 days allowed for his detention.

Justice Othman Musa stated this following the inability of Mr. Benson Iganoi, counsel to Adoke, who came from Mike  Ozekhome (SAN) Chambers,  could not proceed  with the bail application filed on behalf of the former AGF.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) has pleaded that Adoke remain in its custody. The legal life of the detention order expires on January 2, 2020.

The court on December 20, granted an exparte application by the EFCC to detain Adoke for 14 days to enable it round off its investigation.

Adoke through his lawyer had filed a bail application but, yesterday, it was not moved. Benson Iganoi, an attorney from the Ozekhome chambers, informed the court that, although, they had their application for Adoke’s bail, they needed time to respond to counter applications brought by the EFCC.

The former AGF and Justice Minister 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.

The EFCC in a counter-affidavit filed before the FCT High Court prayed that Adoke be allowed to remain in its custody alleging that the ex-AGF was implicated in several fraud cases running into billions of dollars.

The EFCC told the court that aside the $1.1 billion oil bloc scam involving Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Adoke was also implicated in ongoing criminal investigations involving Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID BVI), Process and Industrial Developments (Nigeria) Limited (P&ID Nigeria), which has a financial implication of $9.6billion against Nigeria.

EFCC also told the court that Adoke was also fingered in other multinational fraud scandals involving Halliburton Energy Services Limited and Continental Transfert Technique Limited Matter (CONTEC).

It, therefore, prayed the court to decline the bail application for the embattled former AGF filed by Ozekhome (SAN).