Malami Rejects Bribery Allegation in $2.7bn Mambilla Arbitration

Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has rejected allegations that he entered into a corrupt arrangement with Sunrise Power promoter Leno Adesanya over the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

Malami, however, welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration after an International Chamber of Commerce tribunal dismissed claims brought against the Federal Government by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.

The tribunal delivered its 616-page final award in Paris on September 16, 2026, rejecting Sunrise’s claims linked to the Mambilla project and ordering the company and Adesanya to reimburse Nigeria for part of its legal expenses.

Reports on the award also contained adverse findings concerning Malami’s handling of a proposed settlement with Sunrise, including an alleged corrupt arrangement between the former AGF and Adesanya.

Reacting through a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, Malami said the arbitration was a commercial proceeding and should not be treated as a criminal trial or conviction.

He said the findings concerning his conduct should nevertheless be assessed against the full documentary and evidentiary record rather than through speculation.

Malami also provided a history of the dispute, noting that Sunrise became involved in the Mambilla project in 2003, years before he became Attorney-General.

According to him, the dispute passed through several administrations and Attorneys-General, while former AGF Michael Aondoakaa had previously reviewed the matter and recommended an amicable settlement.

He said the Federal Government subsequently entered into a General Project Execution Agreement involving Sunrise and Sinohydro in November 2012.

Malami maintained that he inherited an existing dispute when he became AGF and did not introduce Sunrise to the Mambilla project or originate efforts to resolve the disagreement.

He said his involvement followed government processes, including a directive communicated by the then Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2016 concerning the disputes surrounding the project.

According to Malami, the Ministry of Justice’s role was to advise the Federal Government on its legal exposure and possible options for resolving the dispute.

He said the unresolved disagreement had by 2019 become an obstacle to financing discussions for the Mambilla project, including negotiations involving China Exim Bank.

Malami explained that Sunrise initially demanded $500 million as a full and final settlement during negotiations in London in November 2019, while government representatives proposed $100 million before negotiations produced a $200 million figure.

He said the proposed settlement was ultimately not approved by Buhari. According to Malami, the former President indicated in April 2020 that the government did not have the $200 million required for the payment, while a subsequent request for approval in January 2021 was also rejected.

Malami said he later instructed government lawyers to resist attempts by Sunrise to enforce the proposed settlement after Buhari declined to approve it.

The former AGF also categorically denied receiving money or any other personal financial benefit from Sunrise, Adesanya or any related entity in exchange for his official actions.

He further referred to claims that Adesanya possessed audio or video recordings relating to the allegations, noting that the reported recordings were not presented before the tribunal. Malami said the existence, authenticity and contents of any such material would be relevant to assessing the allegations.

The tribunal’s reported findings, however, included an adverse conclusion concerning an alleged corrupt arrangement involving Malami and Adesanya. Malami has rejected that conclusion and said he would provide a more detailed response after studying the complete award and accompanying records.

The arbitration involved claims running into billions of dollars. The Federal Government said Sunrise had sought $680 million plus interest in one proceeding and more than $2.7 billion in another dispute linked to the Mambilla project.

The tribunal rejected the claims, including a $400 million demand arising from the disputed settlement agreement and an alleged default payment. It also ordered Sunrise and Adesanya to contribute towards Nigeria’s legal costs.

President Bola Tinubu welcomed the outcome, saying it removed a major legal obstacle to the long-delayed Mambilla project.

Malami said Nigeria’s financial interests had been protected by the outcome and called for the tribunal’s findings concerning former public officials to be examined based on the full evidence.