A remarkable verdict has been reached at an Abuja Federal High Court as the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has been discharged and acquitted of money laundering accusations.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided by Justice Inyang Ekwo, upheld Adoke’s claim of no wrongdoing concerning the money laundering charges leveled against him.
Back in 2017, Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a real estate developer, were taken to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on claims of laundering approximately N300 million.
Although the EFCC acknowledged in front of Justice Ekwo that the funds were part of a loan Adoke had taken from Unity Bank, it suggested to Justice Kutigi that the said money was actually a kickback originating from the sale of an oil block by Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd back in 2011.
During a hearing on March 28, 2024, Justice Kutigi highlighted this inconsistency, leading to the dismissal of charges against Adoke and his co-defendants while reprimanding the EFCC for unnecessarily prolonging the legal proceedings for four years.
Subsequently, Justice Ekwo, on Friday, concluded that the EFCC failed to present substantial evidence to support the accusations against Adoke, the primary defendant.
As a result, Justice Ekwo agreed with the defense’s argument of no case to answer and cleared Adoke of all charges.
Nevertheless, the judge ruled that Aliyu, the secondary defendant, must proceed with his defense as there are grounds requiring explanation.