Yakubu Loses Bid To Reclaim Forfeited $9.8m
A Federal High Court in Kano has dismissed the application filed by former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the state oil firm, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu seeking to quash an interim forfeiture order secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Zainab Abubakar, who ruled on the application filed by Ahmad Raji, the counsel to Mr. Yakubu, said the court has jurisdiction to hear the case, contrary to the argument presented by Mr. Raji.
The judge also ruled that the application seeking to set aside the case lacks basic legal framework and that the EFCC is competent according to Section 29 of its Act to seek and obtain the order of interim forfeiture.
The EFCC had on February 13, 2017 secured the Federal High Court order on the forfeiture of the over $9.8 million retrieved from Mr. Yakubu’s house in Kaduna.
Mr. Yakubu is already being prosecuted by the EFCC over the money found in his house on February 2, 2017. On Tuesday, a witness told a Federal High Court in Abuja, where the ex-oil chief is being prosecuted, how the money was found.
