The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has parted ways with one of its top prosecutors, Offem Uket, following a probe into the bungled prosecution of a high-profile bribery case involving former attorney-general Bello Adoke, the proprietors of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, and multinational giants Eni and Shell, according to Peoples Gazette.
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Last week, Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, threw out the case, citing the EFCC’s inability to prove key elements of its indictment despite a four-year-long legal battle. The case was the last serious attempt by the Nigerian government to hold organizations and individuals accountable for the alleged corruption surrounding the possession of Nigeria’s deepwater OPL 245 oil block.
Sources within the EFCC revealed that the agency’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was particularly incensed by Mr Uket’s alleged misconduct, leading to his termination. The prosecutor had reportedly informed the court that there was no inculpatory evidence to send Mr Adoke and another suspect, Abubakar Aliyu, to jail or impose criminal liability on Eni and Shell.
Prior to his controversial submission, Mr Uket had allegedly informed his office that he was under pressure to accept bribes from the defense attorney for Mr Abubakar. The agency initially attempted to save the case, but the defendants filed opposing motions, and the judge ruled that it was too late.
The EFCC plans to appeal the case, believing that there is sufficient evidence against the suspects and that Mr Uket’s actions were a betrayal of the agency’s trust. The probe into the matter may expand to include those suspected of offering bribes to the ousted prosecutor.
Mr Adoke, who stepped down a criminal case against President Bola Tinubu in 2011, denied offering bribes to Mr Uket or anyone else, accusing the EFCC of attempting to tarnish his reputation further after losing cases against him in several courts in and out of Nigeria.
The controversy surrounding the OPL 245 oil block has plagued Nigeria for years, and the recent developments have dealt a blow to the EFCC’s efforts to combat corruption in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
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