Yakubu’s Rights Enforcement Suit: EFCC Challenges Court’s Jurisdiction

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, March 9, 2017 asked Justice Ahmed R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court to strike out a fundamental rights suit brought by Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director, GMD, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, against the Commission for lack of jurisdiction.

Operatives of the EFCC had on February 3, 2017, stormed a building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered a staggering 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 following which he reported to the Commission’s Kano Zonal Office on February 8, 2017 and admitted being the owner of both the house and the money recovered.

Federal High Court sitting in Kano Orders Forfeiture of Yakubu’s $9.8m to FG

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano presided over by Justice Zainab B. Abubakar today ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $9,772,00 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand United States Dollars ) and £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) recovered from a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu to the Federal Government.

The order was sequel to an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking an interim forfeiture of the recovered money to the Federal Government.