EFCC office
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday arraigned the Managing Director of Abu-Haneefa Oil and Gas Ltd, Musa Farouk Abubakar.
He was arraigned alongside his company, Abu-Haneefa Oil and Gas Ltd, and one Sandra Chizoba Attoh before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, for fraud.
They were arraigned on amended 15-count charge, bordering on conspiracy to commit fraud, corruption and money laundering to the tune of N691,677,310.00 (Six Hundred and Ninety-one Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Ten Naira).
Count 10 of the charge reads: “That you Musa Farouk Abubakar, being the Managing Director of Abu Haneefa Oil and Gas Ltd on or about 21st July 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court transferred the total sum of N297,000,000 (Two hundred and ninety-seven million Naira) from Abu-Haneefa Oil and Gas Ltd account No.1313378899 with Zenith Bank Plc to account no. 0108910277 of Sandra Chizoba Attoh with Access Bank Nigeria when you reasonably ought to have known that the said money formed part of the proceeds of unlawful act to wit: corruption and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) of Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”
They pleaded “not guilty,” prompting the prosecution counsel, Rita Ogar to ask the court for a trial date and to remand the defendants in a Correctional Centre, while counsel to the first and second defendant, Ishaka M. Dikko informed the court that he had filed a bail application for the first defendant on May 19, 2026 and asked that he be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
“We were served with the counter affidavit on June 1, 2026 but we apply that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the prosecution,” he said.
Counsel for the third defendant, YG Haruna, SAN, also informed the court that he filed an application for his client’s bail on June 1, 2026 and received the prosecution’s counter-affidavit on June 2, 2026.
In opposing the bail applications, the prosecution counsel stated that her team has “overwhelming evidence in the case” and informed the court that the prosecution has filed counter-affidavits to the bail applications through Hayatu Bello. “It is a 20-paragraph affidavit.
We attached two exhibits, Exhibit EFCC 1 and EFCC 2. We have filed a written address and rely on all the issues raised and respectfully urge the court to refuse the applications,” he said.
Having listened to both sides, Justice Egwuatu ordered that the first defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending his counsel’s filing of response to the prosecution’s counter-affidavit, while he admitted the third defendant to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum.
The two sureties, the judge held, should be residents of Abuja, and must deposit their passport photographs, and have an acceptable means of identification.
In addition, they must be property owners, while one of them must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 15, and must deposit his letter of appointment and last promotion with the court.
He adjourned the matter till September 1 and 2, 2026 for trial.
