Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has rejected allegations of corruption arising from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal’s findings in the long-running dispute over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
Malami, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, on Tuesday, welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration but disputed the characterisation of the tribunal’s findings concerning his conduct.
The 616-page final award, delivered in Paris on September 16, 2026, rejected claims brought against Nigeria by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited. The tribunal also ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria for a substantial portion of its legal costs.
However, the tribunal made adverse findings about Malami’s handling of settlement negotiations with Sunrise. It concluded that a corrupt arrangement had been reached between Malami and Adesanya and said Malami acted against Nigeria’s interests and was motivated by “other incentive(s).”
The tribunal also found that a 2020 settlement agreement and subsequent addendum, which could have exposed Nigeria to payments of up to $400 million plus interest, were not binding on the Federal Government because they lacked the required presidential approval.
Responding, Malami stressed that the proceedings were commercial arbitration and not a criminal trial.
“The proceedings were commercial arbitration proceedings between parties to a dispute. They were not a criminal prosecution of Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the award does not constitute a criminal conviction of him,” his statement said.
He categorically denied entering into any corrupt agreement with Adesanya or receiving financial benefits in connection with the Mambilla dispute.
Malami also said the findings should be considered alongside the complete documentary and evidentiary record rather than through media reports or speculation. He particularly questioned claims concerning alleged audio or video recordings said to relate to the bribery allegations, noting that such recordings were not produced before the tribunal.
The former AGF further argued that the dispute over the Mambilla project predated his tenure as Attorney-General, saying his involvement came after successive administrations had already been dealing with Sunrise’s claims.
He maintained that his role was to advise the Federal Government on its legal exposure and possible options for resolving the dispute.
Despite the controversy surrounding the settlement negotiations, the arbitration outcome was favourable to Nigeria. Sunrise had sought hundreds of millions of dollars under one claim and more than $2.7 billion in compensation and interest in another dispute linked to the 3,960MW Mambilla project. The tribunal rejected the claims and awarded Nigeria legal costs.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has also reportedly constituted a team to examine transactions and individuals named in the tribunal’s award.
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