Ebun Francis
Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court on Thursday granted an order mandating the return of the controversial OPL245 to the Federal Government of Nigeria, pending “the conclusion of investigation” by the EFCC.
OPL 245, considered the largest oil block in Africa with over 9 billion barrels of crude, has been a subject of investigations in at least five different countries.
Two oil giants, Shell and Eni, in 2011 paid about $1.1 billion into a Nigerian government account in London to take control of the oil block in a very controversial circumstances.
While moving the application, which was dated and filed on January 11, 2017, Ojogbane, the EFCC prosecuting counsel, urged the court to grant the order “pending the investigation and prosecution” of the suspects named in the scandal.
Ojogbane, in his second prayer, sought “an interim order of this honourable court directing that the property known as Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL 245) be managed by the Department of Petroleum Resources on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria pending the conclusion of investigation and prosecution” of the suspects.
Ruling, after listening to Ojogbane, on Thursday, Justice Tsoho ruled, “After consideration of the entire materials furnished by the applicant in support of the application dated and filed January 11, 2017, I am satisfied with the materials.
“The application is granted as prayed.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Mrs Deziani Allison Madueke, the immediate pats Minister of Petroleum were among high profile government officials indicted by Italian prosecutors investigating the case. Ex President Jonathan has since denied any wrong doing.