Court Discharges, Acquits Ex-NNPC GMD, Andrew Yakubu Of Money laundering Charges

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu of charges of money laundering.

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on February 3, 2017, raided one of the properties of Yakubu in Kaduna during which they recovered $9.8m and £74,000 stashed in a fire-proof safe.

The former GMD of the NNPC was alleged to have omitted the recovered monies from the EFCC asset declaration form given to him to fill in 2015.

Accordingly, Yakubu was arraigned before Justice Ahmed Mohammed on March 16, 2017, on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and false declaration of assets.

However, upon filing a no-case submission, Justice Mohammed struck out two counts out of the six-count charge.

Yakubu filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal upon which two other counts were struck out by the appellate Court which ordered Yakubu to answer the remaining two counts charge before the trial court.

Not satisfied, Yakubu proceeded to the Supreme Court on an appeal and in July 2021, the apex Court dismissed his appeal that sought the retrieval of his forfeited monies.