The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has responded to the Abacha family’s criticism over the resolution of the controversial Oil Mining Licence (OML) 245, telling them to “keep quiet”. Lokpobiri’s comment comes after Mohammed Abacha, son of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, called on the Minister to withdraw his statement on the dispute’s resolution, threatening legal action if he fails to do so.
The Minister insisted that the Federal Government is resolving the issues surrounding OML 245 in accordance with the national interest, stating that the matter has lingered for 28 years and the Abacha family should not raise objections. He emphasized that oil blocks are federation assets, and the federal government will take any legal action to ensure Nigerians benefit from them.
The OML 245 deal has been embroiled in litigation for over two decades, with allegations of bribery and corruption levelled against the Abacha family and oil companies Shell and Eni. The dispute revolves around the agreement between the federal government, Shell, and ENI, wherein the Federal Government facilitated the transfer of rights from Malabu to Shell/ENI in exchange for consideration.
Lokpobiri’s statement has sparked a fresh round of controversy in the long-standing dispute, with the Abacha family threatening legal action against the Minister for alleged contempt of court. The family claims that the Minister’s statement was false, spurious, unfounded, and an affront to the courts where several cases on ownership of Malabu Oil and Gas are still pending.
The Malabu Oil and Gas deal has been considered one of Nigeria’s most prolific oil blocks, acquired by Malabu Oil and Gas, a company belonging to the Abacha family in 1998 for $2 million. However, the federal government revoked Malabu’s license in 2001 due to “questionable practices.” The case has been in and out of court ever since, with various settlements and appeals.
