Buhari Govt Hunted My Aides After I Left Office – Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of launching a witch-hunt against key officials of his government after he left office in 2015.
Speaking at the launch of a book titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Nigeria Oil Block” written by former Attorney-General Mohammed Adoke, Jonathan said, “Shortly after my tenure ended in 2015, the succeeding government launched what many saw as a manhunt against key officers of my administration.”
He recalled how Adoke, who served as his Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, was pursued across the globe over the controversial OPL-245 oil block case.
“The author of this memoir, Mr Bello Adoke, was the Attorney-General of the Federation at that time. He was hunted across the globe,” Jonathan said.
Congratulating Adoke for his resilience, Jonathan added, “But today, he is alive, he is healthy, and he is here to tell his story. Let me, therefore, use this occasion to congratulate Mr Bello Adoke, my friend and brother, for his doggedness, and to say that I am pleased to join you in celebrating this victory.”
The former President stressed that justice, truth, and fairness are vital to building any nation. “I must state, as always, that it is widely acknowledged among all civilisations that any society or organisation that does not promote justice and fairness will neither have peace nor make progress,” he said.
He praised Adoke’s decision to write the book as a contribution to truth and accountability. “The essence of Adoke documenting his memoir was not only to set the record straight but to contribute to the cause of truth and justice,” Jonathan said.
The OPL-245 scandal, also known as the Malabu Oil deal, revolves around the 2011 sale of Nigeria’s Oil Prospecting Licence 245 to Shell and Eni for $1.3 billion. Investigations revealed that $1.1 billion of the sum was allegedly channelled through intermediaries as bribes to Nigerian officials and politicians.
Originally awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998 during General Sani Abacha’s regime, the oil block became the subject of international criminal probes after its sale in 2011.
Adoke, who was accused of involvement in the deal, was later cleared of all charges in Nigeria and abroad.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
