The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has issued a strong rebuttal to former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, over claims made in his newly released memoir, which touches on the long-running $1.1 billion Malabu OPL 245 oil block scandal.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the anti-corruption watchdog described Adoke’s book as an attempt to manipulate public perception, rewrite history, and absolve himself of accountability in one of Nigeria’s most controversial oil deals.
HEDA argued that the memoir directly contradicts Adoke’s earlier publication Burden of (Did)Service, and accused him of distorting facts for personal image laundering.
HEDA recalled that Adoke was previously charged with receiving $2.2 million in cash, which was allegedly laundered through a Bureau de Change and a bank manager in Kano.
The organisation insisted that his role in authorizing the disputed deal between Shell, Eni, and Malabu Oil & Gas Limited enabled the unlawful transfer of public funds to private entities under the guise of resolving ownership disputes.
The group emphasized that it has long been at the forefront of investigations into the Malabu deal, both in Nigeria and abroad, providing documentary evidence—including email correspondences—that were submitted in legal proceedings in Milan, Switzerland, and London.
These documents, according to HEDA, were critical in helping foreign prosecutors piece together the case.
In a twist to the saga, Adoke had in 2021 filed a police petition alleging that certain email evidence linked to the Malabu trial had been forged. He reportedly named HEDA and its chairman as persons of interest.
However, Suraju appeared before law enforcement with documentation proving the authenticity of the emails, which had also been accepted by international courts.
The forgery allegations were later dropped, and the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out related cyberstalking charges against Suraju in May 2022, citing lack of evidence.
HEDA claims that Adoke, in collaboration with then-Justice Minister Abubakar Malami, attempted to criminalize its anti-corruption advocacy through misuse of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.
The group noted that this marked the first time the Act was used against a civil society organisation in an apparent effort to intimidate and silence public accountability work.
In response to the defamatory claims in Adoke’s petition and book, Suraju has filed a defamation suit against the former Attorney General.
HEDA stated that Adoke has since retracted his forgery claims through a sworn court document, affirming that neither Suraju nor HEDA fabricated the email correspondence used in the London trial involving JP Morgan Chase.
HEDA further pledged to release a detailed report exposing what it termed the “ignoble role” Adoke played in Nigeria’s loss of $1.1 billion in oil payments and $5.7 billion in royalties, even allegedly ignoring internal government advice not to approve the settlement deal.
“We cannot sit back and allow falsehoods to become the official narrative,” the statement concluded. “The Nigerian people deserve the truth, and HEDA remains committed to exposing corruption and ensuring justice in the Malabu oil case.”
The organisation reiterated that Adoke was only discharged in his ongoing EFCC prosecution and not acquitted, contrary to what it called misleading claims in his memoir.
