The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an alleged one-billion-dollar money laundering charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Malabu Oil and Gas Company, businessman Aliyu Abubakar and other defendants.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his judgment on Thursday, held that the EFCC failed to prove the allegations against the defendants as required by law.
The judge also faulted the commission for proceeding with the prosecution despite a 2018 letter from the Attorney-General of the Federation directing that the defendants should not be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.
The eight defendants faced a 48-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving about one billion dollars and 673 million naira in transactions linked to the controversial oil block, OPL 245. They had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In a separate judgment, Justice Ekwo also discharged Aliyu Abubakar of five counts relating to an alleged 300-million-naira money laundering offence, ruling that the EFCC failed to establish the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge had earlier discharged former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, from the OPL 245-related case in 2024 after upholding his no-case submission, while ruling that Abubakar had a case to answer.
