The directive by the AGF to EFCC was informed by a petition written by an Abuja-based lawyer, Max Ogar, who alleged that Adoke as the then AGF in 2011, exempted Tidex, otherwise known as Tidewaters, from prosecution after committing an offence of “importing toxins into the country”.
Punch sighted a letter signed on behalf of Malami by his Special Assistant on Prosecutions, Okoi Obono-Obla, giving EFCC 3 weeks to investigate the deal between Adoke and the company in 2011.
EFCC is, by the Malami’s directive, expected to turn in its report within the same period of three weeks.
An EFCC source said the commission received the letter from the AGF’s office on April 23.
Attached to Ogar’s petition dated April 11, 2016, was a copy of the document, titled, “Terms of settlement and non-prosecution agreement between the Federal Government and Tidex Nigeria Limited.”
A copy of the non-prosecution agreement, which was obtained by Punch along with the petition, was signed by Adoke, Godwin Obla, who served as the Federal Government’s lawyer, and a rep of Tidex.
As part of the agreement, Tidex was to pay the sum of $6m into the account of the Federal Government with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
5% of the $6m which amounts to $300,000 was to be paid to the Federal Government’s designated lawyer (Obla) as “legal costs and expenses” incurred by the Federal Government “in connection to the investigation carried out into the conduct of Tidewater”.
Ogar, who alleged that there were elements of “economic crime” in the deal, wants the EFCC to investigate among others, “what did the private citizen do to earn a fee of $300,000 and why didn’t the Solicitor General of the Federation witness the purported agreement?”
Adoke is out of Nigeria and the authorities are looking for him.
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