Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has filed an application at the federal high court, Abuja, asking the court to declare that he acted on the instructions of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the controversial $1.1bn Malabu oil deal.

Adoke said that as a Minister, he was merely discharging his duties by carrying out the instructions of the President; therefore he wants the court to declare his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as illegal.

Adoke, former petroleum minister, Dan Etete, and another businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, are facing charges alongside Adoke’s company, Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, for alleged foul play in the sale of an oil block – OPL 245 – to two oil giants: Shell and AGIP.

The sale of the oil block, which is considered as one of Africa’s richest oil blocks, has been described by both local and international stakeholders as fraudulent.

In the recent suit filed by Adoke, current AGF, Abubakar Malami was named as the sole defendant.

Adoke traced the events leading up to the Malabu deal from 2006 until 2010 when then President Jonathan approved the transfer of the oil block to Etete maintaining that his role in the deal was shaped by former president’s directives.

The suit was filed by Adoke’s counsel, Kanu Agabi, himself a two time Attorney General of the Federation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, Agabi noted “that at all time material the plaintiff (Adoke) carried out the Presidential directive diligently, faithfully, impartially and in good faith and without any personal gain to himself nor to any other person except as was agreed to by the known parties to the parties.

“The plaintiff verily believes that he did not exceed the directives/approval given to him by the President and did nothing wrong to warrant his prosecution on account of the implementation of the Settlement Agreement,” the affidavit stated.

He also asked the court to declare his prosecution illegal, null and void.

No date yet has been fixed for the suit to be heard.