Adoke denies involvement in $1.6bn scam

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, has denied being involved in the diversion of $1.6billion, noting that detractors were trying to use the current administration’s war against corruption as an avenue to nail him. Reacting to report in an online publication, Adoke said in a statement, that some civil society organisations petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over the allegations, which he described as, “weighty,” without having facts to substantiate the claims.
The statement reads in part, “My attention has been drawn to a publication by an online medium. My initial reaction was to dismiss it as the handiwork of mischief-makers who are hell bent on pitching me against anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies especially the EFCC in order to instigate and/or precipitate spurious investigations against my person to settle personal scores.

“I was, however, advised otherwise particularly as government’s current war against corruption has unwittingly created an enabling environment for mischief, harassment, fraud and revenge to thrive through malicious petitions against perceived enemies with the sole aim of disparaging them and bringing them to public odium.
“While I cannot decipher the motivations of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) that has reportedly petitioned the EFCC “to investigate a court judgment obtained by the 774 local government councils in the country, ordering the Federal Government to pay them $3.188billion and the diversion of $1.6billion” and their antecedents, I am however surprised that they could make such weighty allegation without any factual basis.
“I wish to state categorically that I was not at any time involved in the alleged diversion of the sum of $1.6billion paid pursuant to the judgment of the Court or any other sums of money.”
The former minister disclosed that he embarked on reforms that engender transparency in the ministry upon his assumption of office in 2010. He argued that if truly he benefitted from the deal, how come his name only appeared in the headline and not in any other part of the story.

Adoke continued, “It will be recalled that when I assumed office in 2010, one of the reforms measures I initiated was the decentralization of payment of judgment debts, which was before then, domiciled in the federal ministry of justice.
“It is instructive to note that the publication detailed the names of individuals and corporate entities to which monies were allegedly paid. I am not mentioned as an individual beneficiary and therefore find it mischievous and malicious that my name featured prominently in the aforementioned headline.
“I, therefore, urge my well-wishers and other Nigerians who have expressed concern over the publication to be rest assured that I was not a party to any unwholesome act or diversion of public funds as alleged.
“The EFCC has no reason to investigate me on the strength of this frivolous petition. I reiterate that in all my public service, my only motivation was the desire to serve my fatherland and contribute my quota to the development of our great country.”