A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday, remanded Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law to Atiku Abubakar, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in EFCC custody.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo ordered that Babalele be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency, pending the hearing of his bail application tomorrow. The bail application is being handled by Mike Ozekhome SAN.
Babalele was arraigned on a two count charge of alleged money laundering. When the charges were read, Babalele pleaded not guilty to them.
See the 2-count charge below:
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.