Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High court Abuja has dismissed the money laundering charges filed against a former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Delivering ruling on a no-case submission filed by the former AGF, Justice Ekwo, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against Mr Adoke .
EFCC did not provide any Evidence to prove the essential elements of the offence against Mr Adoke, this was also the position of Justice Ekwo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had charged Mr Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a property developer, in 2017 on alleged money laundering to the tune of N300 million.
Although there is no mention of the OPL 245 transaction in this case, the EFCC filed that charge before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT high court in 2020.
While the EFCC admitted before Justice Ekwo that it was a mortgage that Mr Adoke took from Unity Bank, it alleged before Justice 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, Justice Kutigi pointed out the contradiction, while dismissing the charges against Mr Adoke and other defendants, chiding the EFCC for wasting the court’s time for four years.
Justice Ekwo also upheld the no-case submission, discharging and acquitting him.
Justice Ekwo also ruled that Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant, has to open his defence because he has a case to answer.
