Yakubu loses Bid to Upturn Forfeiture of $9.8m

Justice Z.B Abubakar of the Federal High Court Kano today May 10, 2017 dismissed an application brought before her by Former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Engineer Andrew Yakubu seeking for an order setting aside the interim forfeiture order of the 13th February 2017 made by the same court in respect of the sums of $9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand United States Dollars) and another sum £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) found in the house of the former NNPC boss in Kaduna.

The application was brought on grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter and that the Federal Government lacks the competency or locus standi to seek for the interim forfeiture order.

Also, the respondent applicant, argued that the court only empowered grant such an order in offences allegedly committed under the EFCC Act.

The application further stated that the Federal Government in its application for the order concealed and misrepresent the facts which led to the issuance of the order.

However, the applicant respondents led by Aisha Tahir Habib responded to the application with a 19 paragraph counter affidavit deposed to by an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Adamu Waziri.

In response to the counter affidavit, Ahmed Raji SAN for the respondent applicant filed a further and better affidavit and both applications were argued on the 4th of April, 2017 after which the court reserved ruling for today.

In her ruling today, Justice Zainab dismissed the application of the respondent applicant for lack of merit. Consequently, all issues argued by the respective counsels were resolved in favour of the applicant respondent and against the respondent applicant, Andrew Yakubu. 

Andrew Yakubu was arraigned by the EFCC on the 16th March, 2017 before the Federal High Court Abuja. 

His arraignment was sequel to a raid which was carried out by the operatives of the commission on his property located at Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State and which led to the discovery of the sum of $9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand United States Dollars) and £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) stashed in a huge fire proof safe.