A former Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, is seeking to quash money laundering
charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, as he files a “no-case” submission before Justice A.R.
Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja. In the no-case submission
dated November 6th 2018, and filed through his counsel, Anone Usman,
Yakubu aked the court to strike out the charges against him, and
discharge and acquit him, arguing that “the evidence led by the
prosecution’s seven witnesses did not establish a case” against him,
necessitating him to defend himself. Recall that a special operation
conducted by EFCC operatives on 3rd February, 2017 on a building
belonging to Yakubu in Kaduna state, yielded the recovery of a
staggering sum of $9,772,800 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seven Two
Thousand, Eight Hundred United States Dollars) and another sum of
£74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) cash that was hidden in a
fire proof safe.
EFCC
closed its case against him on October 17th 2018, after calling the
seventh witness Suleiman Mohammed, an operative with the Commission, who
testified as to how operatives on February 3, 2017 recovered $9,772,000
and £74,000 stashed in a huge fire proof safe in a building belonging
to him located at Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State. The Court also that
day admitted in evidence, a 32GB memory card and two mini discs, which
contained the recording of the raid. ..Yakubu who is facing a six-count
charge bordering on money laundering and false declaration of assets,
was expected to open his defence on December 5. .Usman while asking the
court for a date to argue its no-case submission said, “We urge the
Court to grant us a date for parties to adopt the processes in respect
of the application”.There was no representation from the prosecution
during proceedings.Justice Mohammed, thereafter, adjourned the matter to
January 17, 2019 for “adoption of processes and hearing” and directed
that “hearing notice be issued on the prosecution”.
