Money Laundering: EFCC Arraigns Atiku’s Son-In-Law, Abdullahi Babalele

Barely a week after he was arrested, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law to the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar.

Mr. Babalele was arraigned on Wednesday morning before Justice Nicholas Oweibo at a Federal High Court in Lagos, on a 2 count charge over allegation of money laundering.

According to reports, he pleaded not guilty to the 2 counts.

Justice Oweibo after taking a request from his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, ordered Babalele to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of his bail application tomorrow.

According to the charge signed on behalf of the EFCC by its prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, Babalele committed the offence in February, 2019.

The two counts against Abdullahi Babalele reads;

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.

Recall that the anti-graft agency had on august 8 arrested the duo of Babalele and Uyi Giwa Osagie, Atiku’s legal adviser.