JUST IN: Court Dismisses EFCC Case, Acquits Former AGF Adoke of All Charges

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has upheld the “no case” submission by Mohammed Bello Adoke, the former Attorney-General of the Federation. This ruling comes in response to charges of money laundering leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had accused Adoke and Abubakar Aliyu, a property developer, of money laundering amounting to N300 million in a case dating back to 2017. However, the court found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against Adoke.

Notably, this case does not include mention of the OPL 245 transaction, although similar charges were brought forth by the EFCC in a separate case before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT High Court in 2020.

In a previous ruling on March 28, 2024, Justice Kutigi dismissed the charges against Adoke and other defendants, rebuking the EFCC for what he deemed a wastage of the court’s time over four years.

In his ruling today, Justice Ekwo echoed similar sentiments, stating that the EFCC failed to provide evidence establishing the essential elements of the alleged offence against Adoke. Consequently, Adoke has been discharged and acquitted of all charges.

However, the second defendant, Abubakar Aliyu, has been instructed to open his defense as the court believes he has a case to answer.