The Federal Government has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that the long-running OML 245 dispute remains unresolved, insisting that all legal issues surrounding the oil block have been conclusively addressed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, described Atiku’s assertions as “self-serving” and lacking merit.
Atiku had earlier alleged that the dispute over OML 245 persisted, accusing the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of sidelining Malabu Oil & Gas, a key stakeholder in the controversial oil block.
However, Fagbemi countered that a 2025 ruling by the Court of Appeal in Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited v. Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd. effectively ended Malabu’s legal challenge, declaring it statute-barred.
He further clarified that the international arbitration proceedings initiated in 2020 at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) did not address ownership disputes within Malabu Oil, but were limited to determining whether Nigeria breached its obligations to foreign investors by delaying or refusing the conversion of OPL 245 to OML 245.
According to the Attorney-General, none of the stakeholders referenced by Atiku participated in the arbitration process.
Fagbemi warned that continued criticism of the government’s position, despite clear legal and commercial outcomes, raises concerns about the motives behind such claims.
“The persistence of these criticisms… strongly suggests that they are driven not by patriotism or objective reasoning, but by undisclosed and self-serving interests,” he stated.
The Federal Government maintains that the OML 245 matter has been resolved in line with national interest and existing legal frameworks.
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