BUA Reacts To Abdulsamad Rabiu's Alleged Bribery Scandal

The management of BUA Group has reacted to the alleged bribery indictement on its founder, Abdulsamad Rabiu which also involves Timipre Sylva, the Minister for State on Petroleum Resources.

AllNews Nigeria gathered that the corruption allegations which were published by some Nigerian news channels attributed to a purported statement by Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe and Cavendish Petroleum with respect to BUA’s OML 110 were false, defamatory, malicious and libellous.

The allegation stated that sourced from one James Onyejekwe, the MD of Kainos Exploration and Production stated that Rabiu paid a sum of $20 million to Sylva in order to hijack OML 110, an oil block rightly owned by Cavendish Petroleum Limited.

The $20 million Rabiu allegedly paid to Sylva was said to be the reason the minister refused Cavendish’s approval to continue its operations on the oil block.

Reacting to the bribery scandal, BUA said it instructed its legal team to immediately commence criminal defamation proceedings against the MD of Kainos, the said originator of the malicious letter fraudulently attributed to Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe, with damages.

The legal action will also extend to the online blog, blazenews.com.ng – which first published the unsubstantiated malicious news without a careful fact check in their duty of journalistic care, to confirm and clarify the source of such a weighty allegation.

BUA's statements read: "It is with great regret and concern that we respond to the false, malicious and spurious allegations of corruption (first published on blazenewz.com.ng and therein allegedly attributed to a purported statement by Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe and Cavendish Petroleum) with respect to BUA’s OML 110.

"BUA has been duly contacted by Cavendish Petroleum as well as the alleged writer of the statement, Alhaji Ibrahim Mai Deribe and both parties have told BUA on the record that neither Cavendish, the Mai Deribe Family nor any of its Executives put out such a malicious statement. We find the statement false, defamatory, malicious and libellous - published with the clear intent to impugn the integrity and reputation of BUA Group and its Chairman, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu.

"Consequent to this, BUA has conducted its own independent investigation and the findings revealed that the source of the fraudulent news is a James Onyejekwe, the MD of Kainos Exploration and Production– who is neither an Executive nor spokesperson on behalf of Cavendish Petroleum. We have therefore instructed our legal team to immediately commence criminal defamation proceedings against the person of Mr. James Onyejekwe who is the said originator of the malicious letter fraudulently attributed to Cavendish Petroleum against our person, with damages.

"BUA is also commencing proceedings against the online blog, blazenews.com.ng - which first published the unsubstantiated malicious news and thus failed in their duty of journalistic care to check, confirm and clarify the source of such a weighty allegation against a responsible corporate citizen, particularly as the platform made itself a willing vehicle for articles of disinformation capable of bringing the company into disrepute before its clients, staff and continent of operation.

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"We deem these actions necessary, in order to protect the name and reputation of BUA Group. We see no reason why Mr. James Onyejekwe of Kainos Exploration and Processing would single out BUA in a supposed business dispute which had no link to the BUA Group in its entirety. Therefore, BUA finds it absurd that Mr. Onyejekwe or anyone else will decide to drag BUA into their issues and/or put out such a malicious and defamatory statement, fraudulently using the name of Cavendish/Alhaji Mai Deribe without recourse to truth, facts, decorum or decency.

"BUA takes its reputation seriously and we will continue to do everything to protect it from anyone and any entity who obstructs our mandate to conduct business in a proper, legal and socially-responsible manner. BUA will therefore utilise its legal and human resources to resist every campaign of defamation and distraction.

"BUA also wishes to inform all our esteemed stakeholders, discerning media practitioners and the unsuspecting public to henceforth disregard any further attempt to perpetuate these malicious, baseless allegations.

"We remain highly appreciative of the Nigerian press and will not hesitate to seek full legal redress through the courts to check those who do a great disservice to its crucial role in our great country Nigeria".