Justice Inyang Ekwo of the federal high court, Abuja, on Friday upheld the “no case” submission by Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, on charges of money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a property developer, to court in 2017, alleging money laundering to the tune of N300 million.
Although there is no mention of the OPL 245 transaction in this case, the same particulars were also charged by the EFCC before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT high court in 2020.
While the EFCC admitted before Ekwo that it was a mortgage that Adoke took from Unity Bank, it alleged before Kutigi that the money was a bribe from the sale of the oil block by Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd in 2011.
On March 28, 2024, Kutigi pointed out the contradiction while dismissing the charges against Adoke and other defendants, chiding the EFCC for wasting the court’s time for four years.
In his own ruling on Friday morning, Ekwo said the EFCC did not provide any evidence to prove the essential elements of the offence against Adoke, who was listed as the first defendant.
He upheld the no case submission, discharging and acquitting,
However, Ekwo ruled that Aliyu, the second defendant, has to open his defence because he has a case to answer.
