Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the money laundering charges filed against former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.
Adoke was being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 10-count charges.
However, in a rulling on Friday, Justice Ekwo upheld Adoke’s no-case submission saying he found that the EFCC failed to prove the essential ingredients of the evidence adduced in counts one to four of the 10-count charges.
Consequently, the judge discharged and acquitted him of the money laundering charges.
Background
The case against Adoke has its roots in the controversial OPL 245 oil block transaction, which has been the subject of intense scrutiny and legal battles for over a decade. In 2011, the Nigerian government approved the sale of the oil block to Shell and Eni, with Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd receiving substantial compensation.
While the OPL 245 transaction was not directly mentioned in this particular case, the EFCC had previously leveled similar charges against Adoke and other defendants before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT High Court in 2020.
Interestingly, Justice Kutigi dismissed the charges on March 28, 2024, citing contradictions in the EFCC’s case and chiding the agency for wasting the court’s time for four years.
The EFCC had initially charged Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a property developer, in 2017, alleging that the funds in question were proceeds of money laundering. However, the commission’s case appeared to be on shaky ground, as it admitted before Justice Ekwo that the funds were actually a mortgage that Adoke had taken from Unity Bank.
Court’s Decision
Delivering judgment, Justice Ekwo held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against Adoke, stating that the anti-graft agency did not provide any evidence to prove the essential elements of the offense.
Justice Ekwo’s ruling upheld the no-case submission filed by Adoke, effectively discharging and acquitting him of the charges.
However, the court ruled that Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant in the case, would have to open his defense, as the court found that he had a case to answer.