Oscarline Onwuemenyi
12 May 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – A former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, yesterday, lost a suit in a Kano High Court seeking to set aside the interim forfeiture order of February 13, 2017, by the same court in respect of the sums of $9,772,000 and £74,000 found in his Kaduna home by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Justice Zainab B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Kano dismissed the application brought by Yakubu on the basis that it lacked merit.
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 for the interim forfeiture order.
Also, the applicant argued that the court is only empowered to grant such an order in offenses allegedly committed under the EFCC Act and that the Federal Government concealed and misrepresent the facts which led to the issuance of the order.
In her ruling, Justice Zainab dismissed the application for lack of merit. Consequently, all issues argued by the respective counsels were resolved against Yakubu.
Andrew Yakubu was arraigned by the EFCC on the 16th March 2017 before the Federal High Court, Abuja. His arraignment was a 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 and £74,000 stashed in fire proof safes.
