A detachment of policemen invaded the residence of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) in search of cash and undisclosed documents. Armed to the teeth, the policemen from the Force Headquarters in Abuja laid siege to the house in Okene for about one hour without finding anything.
Although they displayed a warrant from a High Court of Justice in Gudu District Abuja, the policemen refused to disclose their exact mission. They however ransacked the duplex, from about 4.15pm to 5.15pm, including Adoke’s bedroom, his wife’s bedroom, the roof and the toilets.
A junior brother of the ex-Minister, Mr. Abdul Adoke said: said: “The policemen presented a search warrant obtained from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu in Abuja. Their leader identified himself as a police officer from the Force Headquarters, Abuja but he refused to disclose his identity. “We cooperated with them and at the end of the day, nothing was found. They wrote a report declaring that the duplex was free of any incriminating documents. I and four others also signed the report too.” Adoke has been facing trial for alleged involvement in a $1billion Malabu Oil Block deal against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He, however, said that although the charge was irrational, he was prepared to make himself available to defend it at the appropriate time. He said he did not benefit in any way from the auctioning of the Oil Prospecting Licence 245(OPL 245) popularly referred to as Malabu Oil Block. Adoke said he got requisite approvals from the former President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to broker the settlement and execute the OPL 245 Settlement Agreement.
My Travails in the Hands of Nigeria’s Law Enforcement Personnel By Mohammed Bello Adoke
I have just been informed that my country home in Okene, Kogi State built some 12 years ago was today 14th July 2017 thoroughly searched by men of the Nigerian Police Force. Armed with a Search Warrant from the High Court of the FCT sitting at Gudu District, Abuja, the 12 Policemen searched the whole building including the overhead and underground water tank, septic tanks, the penthouse and Boys Quarters apparently looking for foreign currency (Dollars and Pound Sterling) and other unspecified documents.
However, unlike previous searches, which were conducted in the crudest manner with the aim of needlessly destroying property, these Policemen conducted themselves professionally and were civil in their approach thereby giving credence to the new image of the force as a reformed Institution.
At the end of the almost 2 hours search, no incriminating thing was found in the house and a report to that effect was duly prepared and witnessed by those who were present including my junior brother, Abdullahi Adoke. This will be the 4th time my home will be subjected to search at the instance of Nigeria’s law enforcement personnel. It will be recalled that my student home in The Hague, Netherlands was searched at the instance of the EFCC.
This was followed by the search of my country home in Kano and the search of my junior brother’s house also in Okene and today’s search of my own home in Okene. While all these searches have been futile in the sense that nothing incriminating was found, the law enforcement personnel still persist in this fruitless exercise.
I am therefore convinced that the searches are in furtherance of an orchestrated plan to harass, intimidate and generally prevent me from pursuing my suit against the federal government. I served Nigeria diligently as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for 5 years and two months and I am proud of the modest achievements I recorded in the Justice and other sectors that my inputs impacted.
I am therefore utterly surprised that at the end of my service, agencies of the State especially the EFCC have chosen to align with those with personal grudges and scores to settle with me for refusing to allow my office to be used in their fight to gain ownership and control of OPL 245 granted to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.
I am however certain that at the appropriate time, all those behind my travails will be exposed and shamed. By the grace of God, Nigerians will be made aware of the ignoble roles some of their so called leaders are playing in furtherance of their personal interests in the guise of fighting corruption. Mohammed Bello Adoke