How EFCC recovered over $9m, 74,000 pounds Sterling from Yakubu

Mr. Tamiu Abubakar on Tuesday gave graphic details to the Federal high court in Abuja how the anti-graft agency recovered over $9m cash from the house of former Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) Mr. Andrew Yakubu in Kaduna.

Abubakar, a detective attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kano Zonal and 1st prosecution witness told the trial judge Justice Ahmed Mohammed that the huge sum $ 9,782,800m and 74,000 pound Sterling was stacked in Bupapi fire proof save with four panels in an unsuspected house belonging to Yakubu in Kaduna.

According to the witness some time in February this year EFCC Kano Zonal office received information that there was a house in Kaduna where a huge sum of money suspected to be proceeds of corruption was being kept in a house Sabin Tsah Kaduna.

He said the information was passed by the EFCC Zonal Head, at No 2 Haji camp road Kano to the Intelligence Special Operation Section( ISOS) whose function is to carry out investigations. Abubakar said he is a member the unit assigned to carry out the investigation and they proceeded immediately to Kaduna . On our arrival we obtained a search warrant from magistrate court.

On our arrival at the house we met the caretaker who identified himself as Mr. Bitrus Yakubu .We served the warrant on him but he said he dont have the key to the house so we invited an iron bender who came with breaking tools and unlock the doors.

He said a member of team, Suleiman Mohammed recorded the operation in a Vedio tape coverage.

“When the main door was unlocked we moved in with the iron Bender to the inner door and he also unlocked it and we found a gray colour Bupapi fire proof save with four panels .We asked Bitrus who turned out to be the son of Yakubu who own the save? He said it belonged to his father Engineer Andrew Yakubu”

The witness said the team took Bitrus ,the save and a white CVU jeep found in the compound to their office in Kano where in the presence of the zonal head of operation ,other senior officials of EFCC and Bitrus the save was unlocked by key expert.
In the 1st panel we discovered pound sterling , we unlock the other three panels and discovered that all contained money . The zonal head of operation the engaged the service of casher from Bureau de change who came with cash counting machines.
The counting was covered on video tape and money amount to a total of $ 9,782,800m and 74,000 pounds Sterling Bitrus confirmed the counting, he said.

At this point the prosecution lawyer applied to tender the save and defence lawyer Ahmed Raji (SAN) had no objection. The giant gray Bupapi fire proof save with four panels was admitted and marked as exhibit.
Equally admitted as exhibit was the search warrant executed on Yakubu House and Andrew Yakubu voluntary statement.

The witness also told the court that after the money was counted the legal unit of Efcc applied and obtained an interim forfeiture order .

Abubakar said that at the time of the discovery the defendant was out of the country on medical treatment abroad and that he returned immediately when he was contacted and he returned at Kano Zonal office on 8 February.

“He came along with his lawyer one Sani and he was interviewed in the presence of his lawyer. The defendant was cautioned before he voluntarily wrote a three page statement on 8 February 2017. I read it to him and he signed it ,I also signed it. Other team members also cross checked the statement, he added.

The money was taken to CBN Kano and counted it was vaulted at the strong room and register as exhibit because all money recovered in course of investigation or suspected to be proceeds of crimes are registered as exhibit pending when the determination of the matter.

The matter has been adjourned to 24 May for cross examination of the witness.