$9.8m fraud: You’ve a case to answer, Court tells ex-NNPC GMD

The Federal high Court, Abuja on Thursday, says the former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Andrew Yakubu has a case to answer in the $9.8m fraud allegation brought against him by the economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Ruling on no-case submission filed by counsel to Yakubu, Ahmed Raji, SAN, Justice Ahmed Mohammed asked the former GMD to prepare for his defence on July 3, 2019.

“Even though I am tempted to discharge the defendant on counts one to four, I am however constrained to ask the defendant to explain how he came about the monies recovered from his house.

“Fortified with my position, the defendant is hereby ordered to enter his defence in respect of counts one to four.”

The EFCC had through its counsel, M.S. Abubakar filed a reply dated January 15, 2019 arguing that a prima facie case had been established against Yakubu, and that there were grounds to proceed with his trial.

The EFCC had on October 17, 2018, closed its case against him, after calling the seventh witness, Suleiman Mohammed, an operative with the Commission, who testified as to how operatives on February 3, 2017 recovered $9,772,000 and £74,000 stashed in a huge fire proof safe in a building belonging to him located at Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State.

A 32GB memory card and two mini discs, which contained the recording of the raid, were also admitted in evidence by the court.

Yakubu had through his counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, filed a no-case submission on December 5, 2018 arguing that the evidence led by the prosecution’s seven witnesses did not establish a case against him, and so the charges should be dismissed.

The EFCC had through its counsel, M.S. Abubakar filed a reply dated January 15, 2019 arguing that a prima facie case had been established against Yakubu, and that there were grounds to proceed with his trial.