Court Remands Atiku’s Son In-Law After Arraignment By EFCC Over Money Laundering

A Lagos Federal High Court on Wednesday remanded Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law to Atiku Abubakar, 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo ordered that Babalele be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency, pending the hearing of his bail application tomorrow.

This followed a request made by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

The EFCC earlier arraigned Babalele before the Justice Oweibo-led court.

Babalele was arraigned on a two count charge of alleged money laundering.

When the charges were read, Babalele pleaded not guilty to them.

The charges, signed by EFCC’s prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, said Babalele committed the offences in February, 2019.

The charges are as follows:

COUNT 1: That you Abdullahi Babalele on or about the 20th day of February, 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court. procured Bashir Mohammed to make cash payment of the sum of $140,000. 00 (One Hundred and Forty Thousand United State Dollars) without going through a financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.

Count 2: That you Abdullahi Babalele on or about the 20th day of February,2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, aided Bashir Mohammed to make cash payment of the sum of $140,000. 00 (One Hundred and Forty Thousand United State Dollars) without going through financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.