The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri,has reaffirmed that Nigeria holds sovereign rights over the OPL 245 oil block, asserting that all oil blocks are federal government property.
Speaking at a press briefing, Lokpobiri stressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians benefit from the country’s oil resources.
Lokpobiri had recently announced that Nigeria had resolved all issues related to OPL 245.
However, Mohammed Abacha, son of former Head of State Sani Abacha, demanded a retraction of Lokpobiri’s claims, arguing that the matter is still before the courts.
Mohammed Abacha asserts ownership of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, the company awarded the OPL 245 license in 1998 by his father.
In response, Lokpobiri stated, “I don’t want to join issues with the Abacha family regarding OPL 245.
“But as far as I know, every oil block belongs to the federal government of Nigeria. We will give licences to different people to operate.”
He stressed that oil blocks are federation assets, and the government would take all lawful measures to ensure Nigerians benefit from these resources.
“This matter has lingered on for the past 28 years. If I were a member of the Abacha family, I would not even raise my head.
“As Heineken Lokpobiri, I can’t give any Lokpobiri a licence. That in itself is criminal. So if they know what they are doing, they should just keep quiet.”
The minister reiterated that Nigeria has laws, and he would perform his duties within the legal framework concerning the issue.
In 2011, Shell and Eni paid $1.1 billion to acquire OPL 245 after Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd relinquished its interest in the block.
This settlement, brokered by the Nigerian government, ended a decade-long legal dispute over one of Africa’s richest oil blocks.
The oil companies paid a $210 million signature bonus to the Nigerian government.
However, activists launched an international campaign alleging the deal was fraudulent, with proceeds used to bribe government officials.
When former President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015, his administration initiated litigation against Royal Dutch Shell, Eni/Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE), Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep (SNUD) Ltd, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Company (SNEPCO) over these allegations.
On March 17, 2021, an Italian court acquitted Shell, Eni, and all defendants of corruption charges in the $1.1 billion deal.
In April 2020, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also closed an investigation into the deal after it could not prove fraud or corruption.
Furthermore, in June 2022, Nigeria lost its $1.7 billion claim against JP Morgan Bank over the transfers of proceeds from the oil block sale to Malabu’s directors.
In November 2023, after several legal defeats, the federal government withdrew its $1.1 billion civil suit against Eni and Shell in Italian courts. In March, Mohammed Bello Adoke, the Nigerian attorney-general when the OPL 245 resolution agreement was signed in 2011, was discharged by a Federal Capital Territory high court of bribery and corruption allegations related to the transaction.
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