EFCC: We have not dropped charges against Adoke

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed insinuations that it has dropped money laundering charges against the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN).
Spokesperson of the Commission, Mr Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that there was no truth in some media reports that the commission had dropped charges against Adoke.
“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to some media reports claiming that the Commission had dropped charges of money laundering against Adoke.
“The EFCC wishes to make it clear that Adoke is standing trial in two separate courts: Federal High Court, Abuja before Justice Inyang Ekwo in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017 and FCT High Court, Gwagwalada before Justice Idris Kutigi in Suit Number: FCT/CR/151/2020.
“He was re-arraigned alongside an Abuja-based businessman, Aliyu Abubakar before Justice Ekwo on June 17, 2020 on seven-count charges, bordering on money laundering.
“The re-arraignment was occasioned by the transfer of the case from Justice Binta Nyako, before whom he was originally arraigned on February 8, 2020.
“Adoke was equally arraigned before Justice Kutigi alongside others on January 23, 2020 on 42-count charges bordering on the Malabu Oil scam.
“There is another subsisting case involving Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Aliyu Abubakar and five companies allegedly involved in money laundering charges before Justice Ekwo.
“They were arraigned on July 1, 2020 in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/268/2016,” he said.
Oyewale said that media reports about the removal of Adoke’s name from the “Wanted Persons’ List” by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) are unnecessary and misleading.
He explained that the former Attorney General’s name was removed from the wanted persons list of the Interpol following his arrest and commencement of prosecution in Nigeria.
“A suspect cannot be on a “Wanted Persons’ List” and be facing trial in court at the same time.
“The EFCC wishes to reiterate its commitment to global best practices in its operations and will not be distracted from its assigned mandate of ridding the nation of all forms of economic and financial crimes,” Oyewale added.