UPDATE 2-Nigerian court issues warrant for oil minister Etete's in $1.3 bln oil deal

(Adds Etete's lawyer response, background and Adoke bail)
ABUJA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Lawyers representing former
Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete told Reuters on Friday it was
"incredible" that a court had issued a warrant for his arrest in
relation to a $1.3 billion oil deal scandal nine years after it
was struck.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission lawyer Balance
Sanga told Reuters that the arrest warrant, issued by a court in
Abuja on Thursday, was a precursor for declaring Etete wanted
before the country sought Interpol help in apprehending him.
"They have to come and face trial," Sanga told Reuters.
Lawyers representing Etete in Italy also told Reuters via
email on Friday that authorities in Milan, where there is an
ongoing court case relating to the deal, had not sought his
arrest.
They did not immediately respond to a query regarding his
whereabouts, or whether he would return to Nigeria to face
charges. Sanga said Nigerian authorities were not sure of his
location.
The circumstances surrounding the 2011 sale of the oilfield,
OPL 245, is one of the oil industry's biggest corruption
scandals. It is the subject of an international investigation
and an ongoing court case in Milan that has also ensnared
figures from two of the sector's biggest players, Shell RDSa.L
and Eni ENI.MI . The crux of the case is a $1.3 billion payment from Shell
and Eni to secure the block and settle claims to it by Malabu
Oil and Gas, a company a British court determined was controlled
by Etete.
The companies have denied wrongdoing.
Last week, the EFCC formally charged former attorney general
Mohammed Adoke with receiving bribes as part of the deal after
he was extradited from Dubai to face the charges. On Thursday, a high court in Abuja granted Adoke bail of 50
million naira and the condition that he surrender his passport.