An Abuja High Court on Thursday granted a N50 million bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN in an alleged fraud case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The judge Justice Abubakar Kutigi upheld Adoke’s bail request and ordered him to produce a surety in like sum.

Justice Kutigi also admitted Adoke’s co-defendants- Aliyu Abubakar and Rasky Gbinigie to bail pending the determination of EFCC’s corruption allegations against them.

While Adoke got bail of N50m, his co-defendant Gbinigie got bail of N10m. The judge said the sureties to both defendants must be responsible citizens, who must depose affidavits of means.

Justice Kutigi said the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and must own verifiable landed properties worth the bail sum.

Adoke is being charged alongside Gbinigie, A. Abubakar, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Ultra Deep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Limited in an alleged fraudulent oil deal while he was a minister during President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The Nigerian government accused Adoke of receiving gratification to allegedly carry out the fraudulent oil deal.

The government said Adoke mediated controversial agreements that ceded OPL 245 to Shell and Eni who paid about $1.1 billion dollars to accounts controlled by former petroleum minister Dan Etete.

Adoke left Nigeria in 2015 after the Jonathan administration and returned into the country on Thursday, December 19, 2019, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was arrested by EFCC operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The EFCC said contrary to the Section 319A of the Penal Code of the federation of Nigeria 1990, Adoke unlawfully obtained about N300 million in US Dollars from the oil deal.

Adoke pleaded not guilty to the charges.