Gas
Nigerian court acquits Malabu oil and Aliyu Abubakar in fraud case
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and Aliyu Abubakar of money laundering charges.
Key points
- Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that the EFCC failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
- The 43-count charge involved approximately $1bn linked to Oil Prospecting Licence 245.
- The court faulted the prosecution for proceeding against the advice of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
What happened
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, AA Oil Limited Chairman Aliyu Abubakar, and six other defendants in a long-standing money laundering case, according to Punch reporting. Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the judgment, stating that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission failed to establish the allegations beyond reasonable doubt across a 43-count charge filed in December 2016.
The case centred on the disputed Oil Prospecting Licence 245, involving approximately $1bn and N673m. The defendants included several corporate entities linked to the proceedings. In a separate judgment, Justice Ekwo also cleared Abubakar of a five-count money laundering charge involving N300m, noting that the prosecution had not met the required burden of proof.
Why it matters
Justice Ekwo criticised the prosecution for advancing the case despite a 2018 directive from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation advising against trial due to insufficient evidence. The judge emphasized that investigative processes should be fully concluded prior to filing charges and noted that prosecuting agencies must align with directives from the nation's chief law officer.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Gas is the flexible backbone of many grids and the designated transition fuel in many national plans, from LNG trade to domestic LPG and CNG. Supply security and pricing drive both power reliability and emissions.
72.9% of electricity in Nigeria came from gas in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
