Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has rejected findings by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal that linked him to a corrupt arrangement in the long-running Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project dispute.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mohammed Doka, Malami welcomed Nigeria’s victory in the arbitration while firmly dismissing the tribunal’s adverse comments on his conduct.
The ICC tribunal delivered its final award in Paris on September 16, 2026. It rejected claims by Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited against Nigeria. The company had sought payment related to a disputed settlement and a broader claim exceeding $2.7 billion connected to the Mambilla project in Taraba State. The tribunal also ordered Sunrise and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse a substantial portion of Nigeria’s legal costs.
Reports on the award stated that the tribunal found Malami had maintained an inappropriate relationship with Adesanya and participated in what it described as a corrupt deal connected to 2020 settlement agreements. Malami rejected those suggestions outright.
“Malami rejects any suggestion that his official actions were undertaken pursuant to a corrupt agreement or in exchange for personal financial benefit,” the statement said. It emphasised that the proceedings were commercial arbitration between parties to a dispute and did not constitute a criminal prosecution or conviction of Malami.
Malami noted that the Sunrise dispute predated his tenure. He said successive administrations had handled the matter and that he inherited a longstanding controversy. He added that former President Muhammadu Buhari did not approve the proposed $200 million settlement and that he instructed government lawyers to resist enforcement efforts after the rejection.
He maintained that any serious allegations should be assessed against the full evidentiary record, including whether he received any money or benefit from Sunrise or Adesanya. Malami said he would issue a more comprehensive response after reviewing the complete award.
The former Attorney-General expressed satisfaction that Nigeria’s financial interests had been protected and called for findings concerning former public officials to be examined carefully on the evidence.