Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project while denying allegations that he entered into a corrupt arrangement with Sunrise Power promoter, Leno Adesanya.
Malami’s position was contained in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, on Tuesday, following the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal’s rejection of claims brought by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against Nigeria.
The tribunal, in its 616-page final award delivered in Paris on September 16, 2026, rejected Sunrise’s claims and ordered the company and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria for a substantial portion of its legal costs.
However, reports on the award said the tribunal made adverse findings concerning Malami’s handling of a settlement agreement with Sunrise, including an alleged corrupt arrangement involving him and Adesanya.
Reacting, Malami said the proceedings were commercial arbitration and not criminal prosecution, stressing that the award did not constitute a criminal conviction against him.
He also provided historical context, noting that the dispute over Sunrise and the Mambilla project began years before he became Attorney-General.
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Malami said former President Muhammadu Buhari ultimately rejected a proposed $200 million settlement with Sunrise, adding that he subsequently instructed government lawyers to resist efforts to enforce the agreement.
He categorically denied receiving any financial benefit from Sunrise or Adesanya, insisting that the allegations should be assessed against the complete evidentiary record.
