HEDA Accuses Ex-AGF Adoke of Spreading Falsehoods in New Book on OPL 245 Scandal
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has accused former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, of attempting to distort the truth about the controversial OPL 245 oil deal in his newly released memoir.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA described Mr Adoke’s new book “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigerian Oil Block” as misleading and contradictory to his earlier publication “The Burden of (did)service.” The group said the former AGF’s recent narrative was an attempt to absolve himself of responsibility in the $1.1 billion Malabu oil scandal, despite overwhelming evidence of his central role.
Mr Adoke, who was previously accused of corruption by both Nigerian and international anti-graft bodies, was eventually cleared by the courts. In the new book launched Thursday, he accused HEDA and other civil society groups of plotting his downfall and blamed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for suppressing evidence and intimidating witnesses during investigations.
According to Adoke, his motive for writing the memoir was to clarify his role and set the record straight. However, HEDA refuted this, insisting the book was an attempt at historical revisionism.
“Mr Adoke is a remorseless liar who has fabricated stories and manufactured evidence to rewrite his ignoble role in the Malabu scandal,” Mr Suraju stated.
The organisation alleged that Adoke’s actions significantly undermined Nigeria’s national interest and facilitated the illegal transfer of public funds under the guise of resolving ownership disputes. HEDA said its evidence—including email correspondences and official documents—was instrumental in ongoing legal proceedings in Milan, Switzerland, and the UK.
Referencing a 2021 petition Adoke submitted to the police, in which he alleged the forgery of an email used in the Malabu case, HEDA said he secretly named Suraju and the organisation as suspects. Suraju appeared before investigators, presenting original documents to prove the authenticity of the email and defend HEDA’s credibility.
HEDA also claimed that Adoke colluded with former AGF Abubakar Malami to invoke the Cybercrimes Act in retaliation, charging Mr Suraju for circulating court documents on social media. The case was struck out in May 2022 due to lack of evidence.
Suraju has since filed a defamation lawsuit against Adoke, arguing that the latter denied making the forgery allegations during court proceedings. HEDA maintains that all materials it published were either already public or officially submitted in international courts.
In reaction to Adoke’s memoir, HEDA reaffirmed its commitment to exposing what it described as a “deliberate misinformation campaign” and pledged to continue revealing the truth behind the oil block scandal.
“We will not allow falsehoods to go unchallenged, especially when they aim to discredit the efforts of patriotic Nigerians working to recover billions lost through corrupt deals,” the organisation said.
Background: The OPL 245 Scandal
OPL 245, one of Nigeria’s richest oil blocks, was initially awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998 under the Sani Abacha regime. In 2011, Malabu sold its stake to oil giants Shell and Eni for $1.1 billion, a transaction mired in global legal battles and corruption allegations.
Prosecutors claim that large portions of the payment were diverted to bribe Nigerian officials. Mr Adoke, who facilitated the deal while serving as AGF under President Goodluck Jonathan, was charged by the EFCC in 2020 alongside others.
While the EFCC later admitted it lacked sufficient evidence and the court dismissed the charges in 2023, the controversy surrounding the deal remains a point of national debate.
