by Azeez Adeniyi

Former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu is refusing to name those who gave him the $9.7million  cash seized from his house in Kaduna, The Nation reports.

A source from the Economic  and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Yakubu had refused to list his benefactors.

“We suspected that the cash came in between 2012 and 2014 but Yakubu has refused to disclose the sources,” the source said.

“Maybe when his trial begins, he will open up in court. We believe he owes it a duty as a citizen to name those who showered the huge gifts on him.

“Apart from that, since the gifts allegedly came while in office, the constitution makes it mandatory for him to declare them and the sources.”

Yakubu’s counsel, Ahmed Raji there’s no law that mandates his client to disclose the sources of the cash.

He said, “There is no law that says that Andrew Yakubu must disclose the sources of the gifts. This is more so because he is no longer a public servant.

“It is like asking him to prove his innocence. Is there any money missing? He does not owe the EFCC any duty to submit the list of those who gave him gifts

“You can declare gifts if you are only a public servant. My client told me that the bulk of gifts came after he had left office during ceremonies, occasions and as sympathy gifts because of the way he was sacked.

“The burden of proof is on EFCC if any money is missing or any money has been stolen. Yakubu is no longer a public servant.”

It was also learnt that Yakubu has been relocated from Kano to Abuja for his arraignment this week.

The EFCC recovered $9.8m and £74,000 from a building belonging to Yakubu in Kaduna.

The former NNPC boss had claimed the funds were gifts from unnamed people.