The former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu has said the $9.8m recovered from his home by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were gifts from unnamed persons.

Spokesperson of the EFCC, Wison Uwujaren in a statement on Friday had said $9.8m and £74,000 were recovered from Yakubu’s building in Kaduna.

Yakubu has however confirmed ownership of the money but said they were gifts from unnamed persons.

The EFCC said it was the largest sum of cash the commission had recovered in recent times.

Yakubu served as GMD of NNPC from 2012 to 2014 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.