Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN has refused to comment on the alleged arrest of his predecessor, Bello Adoke in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that Adoke was arrested shortly after arriving in Dubai on November 11 where he had gone for medical evaluation after a court warrant for his arrest was vacated in October.

Justice D. Z. Zenchi of the Federal Territory High Court had in April issued a warrant for Mr Adoke’s arrest following an ex-parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC has been pursuing Mr Adoke over claims he was involved in the controversial Malabu Oil deal. Mr Adoke strongly denies links to the alleged fraud and has been on self-exile since vacating office in May 2015.

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He has repeatedly cited a court judgment that said he could not be prosecuted for actions he took while in office based on presidential directives.

Justice Zenchi invalidated the arrest warrant on October 25 based on prayers from Mr Adoke’s lawyers who argued that the order was wrongfully procured.

The judge also asked the EFCC which seeks to prosecute Mr Adoke to serve him the court papers by substituted means.

Malami said in a statement on Monday that he had not received any formal communication on the alleged arrest of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bello Adoke, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN disclosed this while reacting the media reports on the matter.

In the statement issued by Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday 18th November 2019.

“My office as the Attorney General Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not in receipt of any formal communication regarding the alleged arrest in line with international conventions, processes and procedures relating to such matter,” the Minister has said.

“Until such formal communication is received the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice would not comment speculatively in one way or the other over the matter,” Malami has said.