Ex-NNPC GMD Yakubu’s hope to recover forfeited $9m fails

The hope of the former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu, to recover the $9.8million forfeited to the Federal Government has hit a brick wall.

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Wednesday threw out his application to recover the funds.

The court had on February 13, held that the huge sum which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovered, during raids on Yakubu’s house in a slum area in Kaduna State on February 2, be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

Not satisfied with the ruling and hoping to reverse it, Yakubu had filed an application to overturn the interim order of forfeiture of the $9.8million.

But ruling on the application filed by Yakubu’s counsel, Ahmad Raji, the presiding judge, Justice Zainab Abubakar said the court has jurisdiction to hear the case, contrary to the argument of Mr. Raji.

The judge further held that the application seeking to set aside the case lacks basic legal framework and that the EFCC is competent according to Section 29 of its Act to seek for the order of interim forfeiture.

Yakubu is currently being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency for the money discovered in a house belonging to him.

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