Former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, appeared to have taken ill barely three days in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja.
A source close to the investigation confirmed to Vanguard that as part of efforts by the anti-graft agency to conclude the interrogation of the former Justice Minister and charge him to court within the 14 days granted by an FCT High Court, the operatives took him on on sundry issues relating to the Malabu oil deal.
Adoke, is reported to have cooperated with his interrogators who grilled him from 1 pm to 3 pm yesterday and then allowed him some rest since he appeared to be showing signs of weakness and pains during the interrogation.
Adoke, who appeared to be in pains as he arrived in the country on Wednesday, made use of nose mask and appeared weak as he was being driven away in an EFCC bus en route his detention cell at Idiagbon House Formella Street, Wuse 2.
The source said: “The former AGF cooperated with us for the duration of the interrogation although he was coughing intermittently and we had to shift the questioning to another day.
“There are a number of issues which he must give answers to beyond the Malabu oil deal because our records show that he recommended many controversial issues to former President Goodluck Jonathan for approval and implementation while he actually signed many by himself.
“We need him to clarify these issues and justify his action, in addition to explaining to us why only the sum of $1.3 billion was paid by the oil firms in respect of the Malabu deal, whereas nothing is mentioned regarding the heavy tax that the entities were bound by law to pay to Nigeria.”
It will be recalled Adoke had arrived in Nigeria last week and was taken away from the airport to EFCC facility by its operatives.
But the development is said to have irked Adoke’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, who insisted that his client was wrongly taken into custody, having returned voluntarily from the United Arab Emirate to prove his innocence in the case of abuse of office, conspiracy and money laundering being pressed against him by the EFCC.
Ozekhome’s contention is that having had his warrant of arrest quashed by an FCT High Court, Interpol had no basis to arrest and detain him in Dubai for over a month before he volunteered to return home to challenge his traducers.
A source close to the lawyer indicated last night that he would approach the court this week to ask for bail for the former minister, despite the 14 days already granted EFCC to detain him.
