Court Dismisses Money Laundering Case Against Ex-AGF Adoke, Acquits Him

Justice Inyang Ekwo has dismissed the money laundering case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN.

The court upheld a no-case-submission filed by Adoke after the prosecution called its last witness in the matter.

Justice Ekwo ruled that the totality of the evidence presented by the EFCC was not sufficient to sustain the charge, stating that the proof of evidence was not strong enough for any court to rely on it to either convict the defendant or to compel him to open his defence to the charge.

Consequently, the court dismissed the charge against Adoke, but ordered his co-defendant, Aliyu Abubakar, to prepare his defence to allegations that the EFCC levelled against him.

The EFCC had accused Adoke of accepting a cash payment in August 2013 and making structured cash payments in tranches into his Unity Bank Plc Account, which exceeded the approved threshold amounts outside a financial institution.

Abubakar was also accused of accepting a cash payment from Faman Holdings Limited through one Abdulhakeem Uthman Mustapha in September 2013.

This judgment follows another recent ruling by Justice Abubakar Kutigi at the Abuja High Court in Jabi, which dismissed allegations of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy against Adoke in connection with the “fraudulent” transfer of ownership of an oil bloc, OPL 245.

In that case, Adoke faced trial alongside Abubakar and Rasky Gbinigie, as well as four companies.

Justice Kutigi held that substantial evidence was not placed before the court to warrant Adoke being compelled to enter his defence to the charge.

The court also discharged and acquitted Adoke and the other defendants on all counts of the charge, except for Gbinigie.

These rulings mark a significant moment in Adoke’s legal battles, as he has now been cleared of the charges brought against him by the EFCC in two separate cases.