The group also asked the Nigeria police to contact JPMC and the SFO of United Kingdom, to seek their verification of the origins of the email through forensic analysis contrary to attempts by Adoke and his lawyers to get the police to harass and intimidate HEDA and its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju.
Anti-corruption groups, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Corner House and Re: Common have asked the Inspector General of Police to investigate former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke; former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete and Abubakar Aliyu over forgery allegations linked to the OPL245 scandal.
The group also asked the Nigeria police to contact JPMC and the SFO of United Kingdom, to seek their verification of the origins of the email through forensic analysis contrary to attempts by Adoke and his lawyers to get the police to harass and intimidate HEDA and its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju.
The petition read, "The allegation that we forged the email is entirely fanciful. Our own research confirms that the email is associated with a Mr Aliyu Abubakar and two of his companies which benefited from the OPL 245 deal. If, as claimed by Mr Adoke (SAN), the email was not sent by him, there is thus a strong likelihood that it emanated from Mr Aliyu Abubakar or an associate or employee of his companies.
"If so, there are strong grounds for suspecting that the email was a forgery and cybercrime, involving the impersonation of Mr Adoke in order to defraud the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) of funds that should, on the FRN’s own account, have benefited Nigeria."
The group listed several transactions linked to the same email including but not limited to the 21st June, 2011 where one Bayo Osolake (as a representative of the Defendant) received an email sent by a Mohammed Bello Adoke from the email address: [email protected].
HEDA said specifically, the email points to an association between Adoke and the Abubakar’s company that subsequently arranged the purchase of a house for Adoke.
The group said on 24 November 2020, the Milan Prosecutor issued a European Investigation Order (EIO) to the UK, seeking the email from JP Morgan and that on 18 December 2020, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office responded to the EIO, furnishing the email to the Milan Prosecutor’s office.
The group said filings registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission reveal that [email protected] has been used as the email address for 'A Group Construction', a company established on 8 March, 2001 and the CAC filings include a Resolution on company headed paper dated 26 September 2011 with the email address given for the company as [email protected].
HEDA said 'A Group Construction' is one of six companies known to have received parts of the $801,000,000 transferred by JP Morgan to Malabu Oil & Gas.
"The company received $157 million.
Mr Aliyu Abubakar was a founding director and shareholder of A Group Construction and still held those roles in 2011 when the email was sent and when the company received monies from the OPL245 deal. Bank documents relating to a First Bank account for Novel Properties and Development Company Ltd also record the email [email protected] being given as the contact email for Aliyu Abubakar."
HEDA stated that Novel Properties and Development Company Ltd also received money emanating from the OPL 245 deal to the tune of $30 million.
The groups said Mr. Adoke failed to challenge this alleged forged document when it was submitted by the Milan Prosecutor to the Milan Court during the prosecution of Mr. Etete and other defendants.
"We believe that Mr Adoke's complaint to you is a deliberate attempt to pervert the course of justice and would request that you investigate," HEDA added.