Mohammed Abacha Challenges Court Ruling on Malabu Oil Ownership
Mohammed Abacha, son of the late Nigerian military ruler General Sani Abacha, has taken legal steps to contest a recent appellate court ruling concerning the ownership of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, the controversial company at the heart of the long-standing OPL 245 oil block dispute.
The move comes amid ongoing legal battles over the rightful ownership of Malabu and its oil prospecting license, which was originally awarded in 1998 under circumstances that have sparked decades of investigations, litigations, and international scrutiny.
At the center of the storm is the lucrative OPL 245 block, believed to hold one of Nigeria’s largest untapped oil reserves.
In December 2020, a Federal High Court had ruled in favor of Malabu Oil and Gas—represented by Mohammed Abacha and his legal team—dismissing preliminary objections filed by the Federal Government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Shell, and Agip (a subsidiary of Italian oil giant Eni).
That judgment affirmed Abacha’s claim to the company and rejected attempts to invalidate his position on technical or procedural grounds.
However, Agip and other parties dissatisfied with the decision lodged appeals. The Court of Appeal subsequently scheduled hearings, with one of the key sessions involving Agip set for April 9, 2025.
Sources close to the matter confirm that while no fresh independent appeal has been filed by Mohammed Abacha against a specific new judgment dismissing his claim, he remains deeply involved in challenging ongoing legal maneuvers and public representations that question his ownership of Malabu.
Recently, Abacha’s legal team issued formal communications opposing statements by Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, who claimed the dispute over Malabu had been “finally resolved.”
In response, Abacha asserted that the case is far from over and that such declarations are misleading and prejudicial, especially as multiple appeals are still pending before Nigerian courts.
His legal argument continues to stress that he acquired majority ownership of Malabu Oil and Gas legitimately and that no valid legal process has dislodged that position. The company’s original allocation of OPL 245 was revoked by the federal government in 2001, reallocated to Shell, and then controversially re-awarded to Malabu in 2006.
The block was eventually sold to Shell and Eni in a deal worth over $1.3 billion, prompting investigations in Nigeria, Italy, and the UK over allegations of bribery and corruption.
With the legal saga still unfolding, Mohammed Abacha’s latest moves appear to be part of a broader strategy to protect his interest in one of Nigeria’s most contested oil assets.
The outcome of these proceedings will likely have far-reaching implications—not just for Abacha and Malabu—but for the Nigerian government, international oil firms, and transparency campaigners who have long sought clarity and justice in the OPL 245 affair.
