Supreme Court dismisses ex-NNPC GMD, Yakubu’s appeal against forfeiture of $9.7m, £74,000

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by a former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Andrew Yakubu, against the forfeiture of the $9.7 million and £74,000 allegedly found in his Kaduna home.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Yakubu for alleged money laundering in 2017.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, had a few weeks ago ordered the forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.

The Court of Appeal, Kaduna, also dismissed the ex-NNPC’s chief bid to quash the forfeiture order.

At Thursday’s hearing on the appeal marked: SC/639/2018, Yakubu’s counsel, Ahmad Raji (SAN), told the court that he filed a notice to discontinue the matter on July 14.

Raji said he decided to withdraw the appeal because his client has another pending appeal at the Supreme Court, challenging the propriety of his trial for alleged money laundering.

However, the EFCC counsel, Muhammed Abubakar, did not object to the appellant’s decision to withdraw the appeal but sought an order of dismissal.

In the ruling, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili first dismissed the EFCC application for the dismissal of the appeal for lack of diligent prosecution,

The panel later dismissed Yakubu’s appeal over the notice of discontinuance of the case.