The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arrested and detained Nigerian businessman, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, in connection with probes into the Malabu oil and gas mega fraud.

Flavision learnt that the businessman was subsequently detained at the commission’s headquarters and grilled for several hours.

According to an insider source, EFCC through intelligence gathered latest materials and evidence that exposed fraudulent manipulations of information and evidence presented by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke and Aliyu in the defence of a $2m (equivalent of N300million) cash transaction between the duo.

Adoke had claimed the money was a refund of his loan from the bank to purchase a property from the businessman.

In contradiction, the former AGF wrote in his book that the refund was done directly to the bank by Aliyu and he lacked knowledge of how it was done.

Both men are already standing trial bordering on corruption, money laundering and abuse of office. They are also being probed by the Nigerian government through the EFCC.

Abubakar is also the first prosecution witness in the money laundering charges the EFCC preferred against Adoke.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Adoke had sometime in August 2013 in Abuja accepted a cash payment of the dollar equivalent of N300 million from Aliyu and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended).

The prosecution maintained that the former AGF made cash payments that exceeded the approved threshold amounts, outside a financial institution.

Abubakar was also wanted in Italy for trial for allegedly being the conduit of a $500 million bribe by ENI and Shell.

An Italian judge had ordered Abubakar to stand trial for alleged international corruption relating to an oil case involving Eni and Shell.

Milan prosecutors alleged that Abubakar handed out more than $500 million in cash to powerful Nigerian government officials.

The money allegedly came out of the $1.3 billion licence fee paid by Eni and Shell for access to the OPL-245 offshore oilfield located in the southern Niger Delta.

Abubakar had denied any wrongdoing in the case saying he did not distribute any bribes to anyone.

An Italian court in March 2021 cleared global oil giants, Eni and Shell, over allegations of corruption in Nigeria.

The long-running case centred around the $1.3 billion purchase of an offshore oil block in 2011.

Prosecutors had alleged that the majority of the money was paid as Bribes to Nigerian politicians and officials.

But the court in Milan said the two firms, and 13 defendants, including past and current executives, had no case to answer.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.