Andrew Yakubu, former group managing director (GMD) of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has sued the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over an alleged refusal to release his $9.8
million after a court judgment acquitted him of fraud charges.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Guaranty Trust
Bank (GTB) are also respondents in the suit, filed at a federal high court in
Abuja.
On February 3, 2017, operatives of the EFCC raided the
property of the former NNPC chief in Kaduna and recovered the sum of $9.8
million, and £74,000 stashed in a fire-proof safe.
He was alleged to have omitted the monies from the EFCC asset declaration form given to him to fill in 2015.
Yakubu was arraigned before Ahmed Mohammed, a judge, on
March 16, 2017, on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and false
declaration of assets.
However, in March 2022, the judge, discharged and acquitted
Yakubu of the charges.
In the originating summons, marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/231/2023, and
filed before Inyang Ekwo, another judge, Yakubu through his counsel, Ahmed
Raji, is asking the court to determine whether the EFCC ought to still have in
its custody his seized monies after the judgment.
He is praying the court for an order directing the
defendants to immediately release the monies to him pending the determination
of the EFCC’s appeal.
Alternatively, Yakubu wants an order directing the
defendants to immediately transfer the said monies into an account under the
control of the federal high court’s chief registrar or into an account to be
operated by the chief registrar, the EFCC, and him — pending the determination
of the appeal.
But the EFCC, in a notice of preliminary objection, prayed
the court to dismiss Yakubu’s application.
Faruk Abdullah, EFCC counsel, said the suit was an abuse of
court process, adding that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the
matter owing to appeals pending before superior courts.
In an affidavit supporting the motion, the EFCC said most of
Yakubu’s depositions did not reflect the correct position of the case.
The matter has been adjourned to May 18 for hearing.
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