JONATHAN ALLEGES BUHARI ADMINISTRATION TARGETED HIS ALLIES OVER OPL-245 SCANDAL. (PHOTO).

 Jonathan Alleges Buhari Administration Targeted His Allies Over OPL-245 Scandal

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has claimed that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari launched a targeted campaign against key officials of his government following the end of his tenure in 2015. Speaking through former Senate President Pius Anyim at the public presentation of a memoir titled *OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3bn Nigerian Oil Block* by former Attorney-General Bello Adoke in Abuja on Thursday, Jonathan highlighted the controversy surrounding the Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245, also known as the Malabu Oil deal.

The OPL-245 scandal involves the 2011 acquisition of the oil block by Shell and Eni for $1.3 billion, with allegations that $1.1 billion was funneled through intermediaries as bribes to Nigerian officials. Initially awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas in 1998 under the late General Sani Abacha’s regime, the block became the subject of global corruption probes, criminal prosecutions, and civil lawsuits after Malabu sold its stake to Shell and Eni.

Jonathan noted that Adoke, his former Attorney-General, was “hunted across the globe” by the Buhari administration over the OPL-245 case but was later acquitted in Nigeria and abroad. He praised Adoke’s memoir for upholding truth and justice, emphasizing that societies lacking fairness cannot progress. “Power belongs to God,” Jonathan said, urging public officials to prioritize truth and fairness.

Adoke, speaking at the event, clarified that his memoir aims to set the record straight, not to denigrate anyone. He alleged that Buhari’s pursuit was driven by vengeance on behalf of the Abacha family, who believed they were unfairly treated in the OPL-245 deal. Adoke maintained he merely followed a 2011 presidential directive to resolve issues related to the transaction and was not a party to it. He decried the “obscene” public funds spent on what he called a “malicious prosecution” and criticized the lack of accountability for Nigerian prosecutors, noting that an Italian prosecutor involved in the case was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Despite the toll on his life, Adoke said he has forgiven those behind his ordeal, including former EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, who apologized to him. He revealed that Vice President Kashim Shettima encouraged his return from self-imposed exile to close the chapter on the controversy. Adoke stressed the importance of documenting such events to preserve the truth, cautioning that prosecutors must not become persecutors.