The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is questioning Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele, for alleged laundering of €150m, our correspondent has learnt.
It was learnt that Babalele, who was arrested by the EFCC at his Abuja home on Saturday, had been kept under surveillance by the anti-graft body for some time.
Sources claimed Babalele was planning to use the money for his father-in-law’s presidential election.
Atiku was the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the February 23 presidential poll.
It was learnt that Babalele, who is the finance director of a group of companies belonging to Atiku, might soon be released on bail.
Acting spokesman for the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said Babalele had been in the custody of the commission.
He said, “Yes, Babalele is with us, but I don’t have details of his case now, but at the appropriate time, we shall speak.”
It was also learnt that the EFCC had secured a court order to keep Atiku’s lawyer Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie in custody for a longer period.
It was learnt that Giwa-Osagie, who was arrested on February 19 for allegedly laundering $4m, had been undergoing interrogation in custody.
The lawyer is under investigation alongside a bureau de change operator said to have received the money which was allegedly earmarked for the presidential and National Assembly polls by Atiku.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has arraigned one Mudassir Yusuf, before Justice Dije Aboki of the Kano State High Court on two counts bordering on criminal breach of trust.
Yusuf was said to have collected N4m from the complainant in instalments for a textile business which was expected to yield a profit of N800,000 on or before June 12, 2018 to be shared by the complainant and the defendant.
However, at the expiration of the due date, Yusuf failed to pay the complainant the said profit and also declined to refund his capital.
In a statement, the EFCC said Yusuf pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Monday and was granted bail.
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