$9.7m Loot: Andrew Yakubu Refuses To Give up List Of Benefactors Despite Claiming Money Found In His House Was A Gift

A former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Andrew Yakubu, on Saturday maintained that the sum of $9.7 million seized from him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was received as gifts.

The ex-NNPC boss also refused to mention those who had given him the money as gifts just as the EFCC is said to have relocated him from Kano to Abuja ahead of his arraignment this week.

Yakubu’s lawyer, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN) on Saturday, said there was no law requiring the ex-NNPC boss to disclose those who gave him the money .

Yakubu’s lawyer also maintained that the bulk of the cash was given to Yakubu during socials and as sympathy gift after he left office.

“It is like asking him to prove his innocence. Is there any money missing? He does not owe the EFCC any duty to submit the list of those who gave him gifts.

“You can declare gifts if you are only a public servant. My client told me that the bulk of gifts came after he had left office during ceremonies, occasions and as sympathy gifts because of the way he was sacked .

“The burden of proof is on EFCC if any money is missing or any money has been stolen. Yakubu is no longer a public servant,” Raji said.

The Nation however quotes one EFCC source to have said that Yakubu had refused to list his benefactors to “enable us to crosscheck whether or not those affected did him any favour.”

“We suspected that the cash came in between 2012 and 2014 but Yakubu has refused to disclose the sources ,” the EFCC source said.

“Maybe when his trial begins, he will open up in court . We believe he owes it a duty as a citizen to name those who showered the huge gifts on him.

“Apart from that, since the gifts allegedly came while in office, the constitution makes it mandatory for him to declare them and the sources .”

Section 6 (3) of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the constitution says:

A public officer shall only accept personal gifts or benefits from relatives or personal friends to such extent and on such occasions as are recognized by custom.”