Odita Sunday 
Mambilla: HURIWA backs Fagbemi, EFCC, demands sanctions if Malami is indicted
By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over efforts to protect Nigeria from potentially huge financial liabilities arising from the long-running Mambilla hydropower dispute.
HURIWA said the latest International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration award on the dispute represented a significant development in efforts to prevent Nigeria from being subjected to what it described as unjustified financial obligations running into hundreds of millions of dollars.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Sunday, the organisation said the 616-page final award delivered in Paris on September 16, 2026, reportedly rejected Sunrise Power’s claims and contained serious findings concerning the handling of the dispute by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
HURIWA said it was particularly concerned by the tribunal’s reported findings regarding settlement agreements involving Sunrise Power, including findings that the agreements were products of corruption and unenforceable on grounds of Nigerian public policy.
The organisation also cited the tribunal’s reported conclusion that Malami acted against Nigeria’s interests during the renegotiation of settlement terms.
According to HURIWA, the tribunal further found that Malami and former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, lacked authority to bind the Federal Government without presidential approval and that the former AGF continued seeking presidential approval after then-President Muhammadu Buhari had rejected the proposed settlement.
HURIWA said the reported findings warranted institutional scrutiny beyond the arbitration proceedings.
The organisation therefore called on relevant professional and regulatory bodies to examine the findings contained in the ICC award and determine whether they disclose any breach of professional conduct by the former Attorney-General.
“HURIWA specifically calls on the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and other competent professional bodies to examine the matter within their statutory mandates and to initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings if the evidence establishes a prima facie case of professional misconduct,” Onwubiko said.
He added that where disciplinary proceedings establish professional misconduct warranting further action concerning the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) should take whatever action is permitted by law.
HURIWA stressed that professional status should not shield any lawyer from accountability where credible findings raise questions about compliance with professional ethics and duties owed to the Nigerian state.
The organisation also commended the role of the EFCC in investigating matters connected with the Mambilla dispute.
According to HURIWA, the ICC tribunal noted that Nigeria had informed it that Malami was under investigation by the EFCC when he declined to appear for oral examination.
The group urged the EFCC to pursue any investigation involving the former AGF strictly in accordance with the law, due process and available evidence, without political interference or selective enforcement.
HURIWA also praised the current Attorney-General for what it described as efforts to defend Nigeria’s financial interests in a dispute that exposed the country to potentially substantial liabilities.
The organisation said the tribunal found that Sunrise Power had sought $400 million under the settlement arrangement, while its original arbitration claim was reportedly valued at more than $2.3 billion.
According to HURIWA, the tribunal ultimately rejected the claims and ordered Sunrise Power and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, to reimburse Nigeria more than $12 million in legal fees and arbitration costs.
HURIWA said the significance of the Mambilla dispute extended beyond the outcome of a single arbitration proceeding, arguing that Nigeria needed stronger safeguards around major settlement agreements, international arbitration matters and contracts capable of exposing the country to substantial financial liabilities.
The organisation also called for a comprehensive review of past high-value settlements entered into on behalf of the Federal Government, particularly those involving questions about authorisation, transparency, value to Nigeria and compliance with public procurement and financial regulations.
Onwubiko said public officers entrusted with Nigeria’s legal, financial and contractual interests must recognise that the resources involved belong to the Nigerian people.
He urged the Federal Government to strengthen institutional safeguards to prevent questionable settlements and contractual arrangements from exposing the country to avoidable financial obligations.
“HURIWA maintains that the Mambilla arbitration award should therefore serve as a watershed in Nigeria’s fight against institutionalised waste, questionable settlements and abuse of public trust,” he said.
The organisation reiterated its commendation of Fagbemi and the EFCC, while urging that every credible allegation arising from the ICC findings be subjected to transparent investigation and that appropriate legal or professional sanctions follow where wrongdoing is established.
“’Nigeria’s public treasury is not a private inheritance. It belongs to the Nigerian people and must be defended with every lawful instrument available,” Onwubiko said.
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