Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami has dismissed allegations of loss of $2.4 billion on sale of 48 million barrel of crude oil in China as baseless.
Malami stated this, on Thursday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil amounting to over $2.4 billion and crude oil export from the country from 2014 to date.
The AGF told lawmakers that his office had filed a criminal suit against those who raised the allegations, which the panel his investigating. And argued that the probe of the alleged oil theft was unconstitutional and subjudice.
According to him, “Let me state on record and for the benefit of Nigerians and the committee that the allegations relating to the 48 million barrels are baseless. The allegation is unfounded. It lacks merit and indeed substance.
“The allegation in its own right is devoid of any reasonable ground pointing to a material suspicion cogent enough to invoke the constitutional oversight of the Committee. Why do I say so? Sometimes in 2016 allegations were rife and hyped in the social media. There were allegations of existence of stolen 48 million barrels of Nigerian crude in China said to have been valued at 2.4 billion.
“President Muhammadu Buhari informally requested the Attorney-General, making reference to my humble person, Mele Kyari, Lawal Daura, former DG of DSS; and late Abba Kyari; to look into it and advise. But unfortunately, for there to be a reasonable ground for suspicion, at least, you require certain basic facts.
“If you are talking of a product, you cannot establish the substance relating thereto, without confirming the origin of the purported product in China. If you talk about a product in China. Is it of Nigerian origin? That can be ascertained by sample and specifications. Is it Bonny Light for example, which you know emanate from Nigeria or what is it.
“The basic details of the existence of the product and connecting it to Nigeria was not there at all. If you are talking of a product, the vessel perhaps that has taken it, what are the particulars and details of the vessel. There were not available at our disposal at all. “
