The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss an application by Andrew Yakubu, the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The application sought the return of funds seized from him during a money laundering case. The EFCC argued that since the seized funds are part of an ongoing litigation before the Court of Appeal, it would be inappropriate to return them to Yakubu.
The case originated from a tip-off by a whistleblower in 2017, leading to a raid on Yakubu’s guest house in Kaduna. During the raid, authorities discovered $9.7 million and £74,000 hidden in a fireproof safe on the premises. The Federal High Court in Kano subsequently granted an interim order for the forfeiture of the recovered funds to the federal government. This decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in Kaduna in 2018.
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Yakubu has maintained that the seized funds were gifts he received on various occasions, including birthdays, thanksgiving services, and other celebrations after his tenure at NNPC. The case is ongoing as the EFCC seeks to keep the funds pending the outcome of the appeal.
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