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IGP Team Detains HEDA Chairman For Sharing $1billion Malabu Oil Report Indicting Former AGF, Adoke

Suraju was detained at the Force headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday where he was interrogated for several hours for sharing the report which was published by online newspapers, Premium Times and SaharaReporters, which indicted the Attorney General, on his (Suraju’s) social media platforms.

The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit has detained the Chairman of HEDA Resource Center, Olanrewaju Suraju, for alleged sharing the media report on $1 billion Malabu oil deal involving a former Attorney-General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

Suraju was detained at the Force headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday where he was interrogated for several hours for sharing the report which was published by online newspapers, Premium Times and SaharaReporters, which indicted the Attorney General, on his (Suraju’s) social media platforms.

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It was gathered that Suraju was invited following a petition written against him by Adoke who accused him of publicising the media report.

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It was also learnt that the police had invited all members of Board of Trustees of the organisation and demanded the bank account details and address of the organisation.

Suraju, who spoke to SaharaReporters shortly after his release, said Adoke was using the police to intimidate and harass the organisation which originally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Italian police to look into the case of forgery. 

He said, “They used the former Inspector General of Police to get the petition sent to IGP Monitoring Unit which then invited me two weeks ago. I came and he (Adoke) was not around. I came again and he was not around. I was asked to come again last Wednesday. I came but he was not there and his lawyer, Kanu Agabi, who wrote the petition, was not there also.

“There was a lawyer who claimed to be his friend but he never introduced himself to us. Apparently he is the one using the influence with former IGP to get the petition assigned and then telling the police what should be done.

“So they moved from case of forgery which we dismantled with evidence to; why was I sharing the report published by Premium Times and SaharaReporters? They are now asking for the BOT members, address and bank account number of the organisation before I was granted bail with a surety.”

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Suraju said the former AGF had no evidence and could not substantiate the allegation around the case he was involved; rather he resorted to intimidation.

JP Morgan Chase Bank had recently released fresh documents which indicted Adoke and was admitted as evidence, including an electronic mail sent by him on June 21, 2011.

The bank released the documents to a United Kingdom court, the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, after investigation was done by the Special Fraud Office, London, under Director Lisa Osofosky.

The documents confirm that contrary to Adoke’s claim of forgery against the NGOs and Italian prosecutors, the documents emanated from JP Morgan and UK court.

It would be recalled that JP Morgan Chase Bank was accused by the Nigerian government to have sent $801 million to the bank account of Malabu in Nigeria without appropriate authorisation from Nigeria.

Adoke and six others are standing trial over alleged fraud in the oil deal.

The government said Adoke mediated controversial agreements that ceded OPL 245 to Shell and ENI who in turn allegedly paid about $1.1 billion dollars to accounts controlled by former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete.

Adoke, who left the country after the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and extradited to Nigeria through the Interpol who handed him over to the EFCC at the airport.

He is being charged by the anti-graft agency on alleged abuse of office and money laundering in respect of the granting of the Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI.

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