"How $9.8m dollars and £74,000 were found in Yakubu's house" - Witness

Yakubu, who was the former Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (on a six-count of money laundering and false asset declaration)

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Andrew Yakubu on Tuesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, how the 9.8m dollars and £74,000 were found in the defendant’s house in Kaduna.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Ben Ikani, the witness, Tasiu Abubakar, who is a superintendent of police attached to the EFCC, said on Feb. 2, the EFCC Zonal Head of Operation in Kano received information of money kept in the defendant’s house in Sabon Tasha, Kaduna State.

The witness said when it received the information; the zonal head directed the Intelligence and Special Operation Section to carry out an investigation on the said house.

He said on their arrival at the house, a search warrant which had been obtained was presented to the caretaker of the house, Mr Yakubu Bitrus, a brother to the defendant.

“We then demanded the key to the house from his brother who told us the key was not with him but he then called an iron bender who came with break-in materials and opened the door. When we entered the room, we discovered another unlocked door and inside it, we saw a gray colour four-panel safe and a white excel CPU component which Bitrus said belonged to the defendant.

“After discovering the safe, the team along with the defendant’s brother proceeded to the EFCC office in Kano where key experts were invited to unlock the safe,’’ he said.

The witness added that the zonal head also invited the services of a Bureau de change operator who came with two machines and counted the money which amounted to 9,772,800 dollars and £74,000.

Abubakar said the defendant was out of the country for medical treatment when the money was recovered but on Feb. 8, he came with his counsel and his statement was recorded.

He further said that an order of forfeiture of the money was made and a court order for the defendant to be detained was issued.

NAN