The Federal High Court in Lagos has officially cleared Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti State, from charges of money laundering and theft amounting to ₦6.9 billion.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, presiding over the case, upheld a no-case submission from Fayose’s defense, ruling that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not prove a prima facie case sufficient to put the ex-governor on defense.
Initially charged in 2018 before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, the case was later transferred to Justice Aneke following EFCC’s motion. The anti-graft agency had accused Fayose of illicitly receiving ₦1.2 billion to fund his 2014 governorship campaign and accepting $5 million in cash from former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, without any financial institution involvement.
Further allegations included laundering more than ₦1.6 billion that was potentially used by Fayose to acquire properties via entities such as De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd. Fayose and his firm, Spotless Investment Ltd, faced 11 separate counts involving these financial crimes.
The properties under scrutiny were allegedly purchased with funds linked to the Office of the National Security Adviser, raising concerns over corruption during Fayose’s tenure as governor.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Fayose’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, condemned the EFCC’s claims, noting the absence of conclusive evidence and highlighting that alleged co-conspirators were not charged together. “With due respect, the predicate offences on which these charges are based do not hold water. Criminal breach of trust and conspiracy are distinct, and no co-conspirator was charged alongside the defendant,” Agabi emphasized.
The court’s decision to discharge Fayose signals a significant setback for the EFCC’s pursuit of high-profile corruption cases.
Okay.ng reports that this ruling may shape future prosecutorial strategies concerning anti-corruption efforts.
