Nigerian court to arrest ex-ministers over oil corruption scandal

/ News & Interviews / Tuesday, 23 April 2019 10:50

A Nigerian court issued arrest warrants for two ex-ministers in connection with one of the country's biggest-ever corruption scandals, the financial crimes unit said.

The court ordered the warrants for Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister, and Mohammed Adoke, a former justice minister and attorney general, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said.

Both men have been in hiding for years. The arrest order paves the way for a potential international warrant.

“The Nigeria Police, the INTERPOL and any other law enforcement agency should arrest them anywhere they were found,” the EFCC said in a statement, adding the warrants had “granted the prayers” of the anti-graft body.

The warrants are connected to a corruption case involving oil giants Eni and Shell in Nigeria. Alleged kickbacks were paid during the purchase of an offshore oilfield.

Eni and Shell are accused of handing out bribes during the 2011 purchase of OPL245, an offshore oil block, for $1.3 billion. Both oil companies deny any wrongdoing.

The case has been dubbed the “Malabu scandal” after a key company reportedly involved in the deals.

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