Former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, on Wednesday lost his bid to retrieved the sum of $9.8m and £74,000, forfeited to the Federal Government at a Federal High Court in Kano.
Justice Zainab Abubakar dismissed the application filed by Yakubu seeking to quash an interim order of forfeiture secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Ruling on the application filed by Yakubu’s lawyer, Ahmad Raji, the judge held that the court had the jurisdiction to hear the case, contrary to the argument of Raji.
Abubakar held that the application seeking to set aside the case lacks basic legal framework, adding that the anti-graft agency is competent according to Section 29 of its Act to seek for the order of interim forfeiture.
Recall that EFCC had on February 13, 2017 secured the Federal High Court order on the forfeiture of the over $9.8 million discovered from his house in Kaduna.
The former NNPC boss is currently facing trial for money laundering at a Federal High Court in Abuja.