The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, dismissed a money laundering case the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, instituted against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN.
Consequently, the court dismissed the charge against the ex-AGF, though it ordered his co-defendant, Aliyu Abubakar, who is an oil mogul, to prepare his defence to allegations the EFCC levelled against him. The prosecution maintained that the former AGF made cash payments that exceeded the approved threshold amounts, outside a financial institution.
It will be recalled that an Abuja High Court sitting at Jabi had on March 28, dismissed allegations of fraud, bribery and conspiracy which the EFCC also brought against the former AGF, Adoke, SAN, following alleged role he played in the “fraudulent” transfer of ownership of an oil bloc, OPL 245, regarded as one of the biggest in Africa.
EFCC alleged that Adoke who was arrested upon his return to the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirate, on December 19, 2019, received gratification to facilitate the alleged oil bloc fraud. It was alleged that the defendants had sometime in 2013, in Abuja, dishonestly used as genuine, the forged form CAC 7 and Board Resolution of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited, as well as the letter of resignation of one Mohammed Sani, and opened a Bank Account No. 2018288005 with First Bank of Nigeria Plc, with which they received the sum of $401,540,000.00.