ABUJA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Nigeria's former attorney general
was detained by the country's financial crimes agency upon his
return home on Thursday, the commission said in a statement, as
part of an investigation into one of the oil industry's biggest
suspected corruption scandals.
Mohammed Adoke was arrested by Interpol in November after
travelling to Dubai for a medical appointment. He
voluntarily flew back to the West African country on Thursday,
his lawyer said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
investigation relates to the $1.3 billion sale of a Nigerian
offshore oilfield known as OPL 245 by Malabu Oil and Gas in
2011.
Eni SpA ENI.MI and Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L jointly
acquired the field from Malabu, which was owned by former
petroleum minister Dan Etete.
The sale of the oil field has spawned legal cases across
several countries, involving Nigerian government officials and
senior executives from Eni and Royal Dutch Shell.
Shell and Eni, and their executives, have denied any
wrongdoing. Etete has also denied wrongdoing.
"His return to Nigeria clears the way for him to answer to
the charges against him," the EFCC said in a statement,
following Adoke's return to Nigeria.
Adoke's lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, said the former attorney
general was released by Interpol and Dubai authorities after
"finding nothing criminal against him."
"Our client remains very confident that he will be
vindicated in the court of law and justice at the end of the
day, after a free and fair trial," Ozekhome said in a written
statement.
Adoke served as attorney general from 2010 to 2015.
Ozekhome previously said his client had appeared in court in
Nigeria in the past over the OPL 245 case and was exonerated.