Tasiu Abubakar, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has told Justice Ahmed Mohammed of an Abuja Federal High Court, how the anti graft agency uncovered the sum of $9.8million stashed up in the home of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company(NNPC) Andrew Yakubu
Abubakar who is the first prosecution witness in the on-going trial of Yakubu told the court how, the EFCC through an intelligence information got wind of the sum of $9,772,800 in Yakubu’s house, located at Sabon Tarsha area in Kaduna.
The PW1 while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Ben Ikani explained to the court what transpired on February 2, 2017 which led to the discovery of the said amounts of money.
“On that fateful day the Zonal Head of Kano received an intelligence information that there was a house located at Sabon Tarsha area of Kaduna state that there was a money kept in his house and the zonal office has an office called intelligence and special operation section known as isos which function is to carry out such operation
“Based on that the zonal head of operation directed the unit to proceed to Kaduna and carry out surveillance. When I and my team arrived the house the caretaker came and identified himself as Beatrice Yakubu after normal introduction we presented a search warrant to him
“He now told us that he is the defendant’s brother and so we discovered that the caretaker did not have the key to the house and so we had to call an iron bender, the iron bender came with his breaking tools and unlocked the door.
“The main door was unlocked and we moved him with the Beatrice and the iron bender. We further discovered another door inside which was also unlocked. Immediately the doors was opened we discovered bupapi and a four panel safe and we asked Mr Beatrice who is the owner of that safe, which he said the safe belongs to the defendant.
“We moved the safe out of the apartment along with Beatrice and we search the apartment and discovered the white excel cpu component and that is all what we discovered. After discovering the safe,the team along with the defendant brother proceeded to the EFCC office in Kano were the zonal head of operation and other senior officers invited key experts and the safe was unlocked in the presence of the defendant’s brother
“When the first panel was opened, we discovered foreign currency, specifically US dollars, and pounds sterling. They unlocked the second to fourth panel where all different panels contained money
“After that the zonal head employed the services of Bureau de change who came along with currency counting machine and all this process was covered by the media unit and then the money counted was $9.8milllion as well as £74,000
“The defendant confirmed the amount which was counted and we made a paper with the names of all the witnesses including the Bureau de change (BDC) who helped in counting and their statement was taken in that count.Immediately the money was registered as exhibit
“At the time when the money was discovered, the defendant was out of the country for medical trip.He was contacted and he now reported to the zonal office, he came along with his counsel Mr James Kanyi, who was interviewed in the present of his lawyer”, he told the court.
The matter was however adjourned to May 24, 2017 for continuation of trial.
The former NNPC top boss, was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering, non-disclosure of assets and fraud.
SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja
