Mambilla deal: Malami rejects bribery finding, demands full disclosure of ICC record

The former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has rejected reports linking him to bribery in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

Malami stressed that the tribunal’s findings should not be treated as a criminal conviction and calling for the full arbitral record to be made public.

Malami made this known via a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.

The former AGF said while he welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration, the public deserved to examine the complete 616-page award rather than rely on selected extracts circulating in the media.

He said the commercial arbitration proceedings were between Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, stressing that he was neither a party to the case nor tried for any criminal offence.

Malami noted that although the tribunal made observations concerning the proposed settlement agreement, presidential approval, his communications with Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya, and an alleged corrupt arrangement, should be considered alongside the complete documentary and evidentiary record.

Malami stressed that the Mambilla dispute did not originate during his tenure as the AGF, noting that the controversy dated back to 2003 and had been inherited from previous administrations.

He recalled that earlier Attorneys-General and successive governments had explored settlement options long before he assumed office, while the Federal Government also entered into agreements with Sunrise Power and Sinohydro in 2012 in an effort to resolve the dispute.

He stated: “The Mambilla contractual controversy did not originate during Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General.

“Its history stretches back to 2003, when Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited became involved in the proposed hydroelectric project. Subsequent decisions concerning the project resulted in litigation and competing contractual claims long before Malami assumed office.

“Years before Malami became Attorney-General, his predecessor, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, had reviewed the dispute and expressed the view that Sunrise had not been properly disengaged before another contractor was brought into the project. An amicable resolution was consequently recommended as being in Nigeria’s interest.

“Similarly, in November 2012, years before Malami assumed office, the Federal Government entered into a General Project Execution Agreement involving Sunrise and Sinohydro as part of attempts to resolve the dispute and advance the project.”

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The former AGF explained that his role was limited to providing legal advice after receiving presidential directives on how to manage Nigeria’s exposure to the long-running arbitration.

He also defended negotiations over a proposed $200 million settlement, saying they were aimed at protecting Nigeria from multibillion-dollar claims and removing obstacles to financing the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

Malami, however, stressed that former President Muhammadu Buhari never approved the proposed payment.

He said Buhari rejected the request in 2020, a decision that was communicated to Sunrise Power, adding that he subsequently instructed government lawyers to resist the company’s attempt to enforce the settlement after it claimed Nigeria had defaulted.

Responding directly to reports of an alleged bribery arrangement with Sunrise promoter Leno Adesanya, Malami denied receiving or seeking any financial benefit.

Malami said the allegation must be tested against the full evidentiary record, pointing out that the proposed settlement was never paid and that recordings allegedly referred to by Adesanya were never produced before the tribunal.

“The proceedings were commercial arbitration proceedings. They were not a criminal prosecution of Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the award does not constitute a criminal conviction,” he said.

Malami also noted that he was not a party to the arbitration and was not given an opportunity to present his own side before the tribunal.

While welcoming Nigeria’s successful defence against Sunrise’s multibillion-dollar claims, the former AGF urged journalists and politicians to distinguish between arbitral findings, allegations, and criminal convictions.

He added that a comprehensive response addressing each of the tribunal’s findings would be issued after a detailed review of the complete arbitral award and accompanying records.