The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, other companies, and AA Oil Chairman Aliyu Abubakar in two separate alleged money laundering suits filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo discharged and acquitted the defendants, holding that the prosecution’s evidence and charges were “fundamentally flawed,” had not been “proven beyond reasonable doubt,” and were contrary to a previous directive from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
It was previously reported on the seven-year-old money laundering suit instituted by the EFCC against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke.
It'll be recalled that Adoke and AA Oil Chairman Aliyu Abubakar were arraigned before the court on an amended 14-count charge bordering on money laundering in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/31/17.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial commenced, eventually leading to Adoke’s discharge.
However, the court had found that the prosecution established a prima facie case against the second defendant, Abubakar, on Counts 5, 6, 8 and 9. Consequently, his no-case submission in respect of those counts was dismissed.
In a related case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/268/16, the EFCC charged Malabu, A-Group Construction Company Limited, Rocky Top Resources Limited, Mega Tech Engineering Limited, Novel Properties and Development Company Limited, Carlin International Nigeria Limited, and Aliyu, among others, with money laundering and conspiracy.