A former Nigerian attorney-general, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has been held in Dubai by Interpol.
Sources told Premium Times that Mr Adoke was arrested shortly after arriving in Dubai on November 11. He had travelled there for medical evaluation after a court warrant for his arrest was vacated in October.
TheLagostimes recalls that the EFCC has been after the former attorney general over claims he was involved in the controversial Malabu Oil deal. Mr Adoke however denied links to the alleged fraud and has been on self-exile since vacating office in May 2015.
Following a request by the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a high court in the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja issued a warrant of arrest against Adoke and four others on April 17, 2019 over the controversial OPL 245 deal executed by the federal government in 2011.
It was gathered that Interpol officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were shocked when Adoke told them the warrant for his arrest had since been vacated and that there was no basis to hold him.
Sources said Interpol authorities in the UAE have now requested the Nigerian authorities to officially update them on the matter.
The Ministry of Justice in Abuja has been working on transmitting the order to Interpol in Dubai to secure Adoke’s release, but the process was being delayed because the incumbent AGF, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), was not available.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recently signed a mutual legal assistance treaty with the UAE that would, among others, ensure Nigerians accused of corruption and fraud, can be arrested in the UAE and deported to Nigeria to face prosecution.