The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, remanded former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, who was accused of stashing over N3billion at his house in Kaduna, in Kuje Prison.
Trial Justice A. R. Mohammed sent the defendant to prison after he pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him. Yakubu will remain in prison till March 21 when the court will rule on his bail application.
The defendant had through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, begged the court to rather remand him in EFCC custody pending the ruling, a result that was turned down by Justice Mohammed. It will be recalled that following a tip-off from a whistle-blower, the EFCC, raided Yakubu’s guest house situated at Sabon Tasha, Kaduna State, where it recovered the alleged loot which was in foreign currencies.
The anti-agency said it discovered the sum of $9.7million and £74,000 that Yakubu hid in a fireproof safe inside the house. The defendant earlier asked the high court to order the commission to return the seized money to him, insisting it was part of monetary gifts he received on various occasions.
More details soon.
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