In a significant legal development, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has been discharged and acquitted of money laundering charges by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday, came in response to a no-case submission filed by Adoke, where the court found that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to present sufficient evidence against him.
Justice Ekwo stated, “I find that there is no evidence to prove the alleged offences against the first defendant (Adoke).” However, the judge ruled that Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant, must present a defense as he has a case to answer.
The EFCC had filed 14 counts charges against Adoke and oil mogul Aliyu Abubakar, alleging that Adoke accepted a cash payment equivalent to N300 million from Abubakar in August 2013 in Abuja, violating section 16(2)(b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended.
The verdict marks a significant turn in the legal saga surrounding Adoke, who had vehemently denied the charges against him. With the court’s decision, Adoke is now cleared of the allegations, underscoring the importance of evidence in legal proceedings and the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
