News
EFCC re-arraigns ex-Lagos speaker, aide on money laundering charges
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wednesday re-arraigned a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji over alleged conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N338.8 million.
According to a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the ex-speaker was arraigned alongside his former aide, Oyebode Alade, at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos and presided over by Justice Mohammad Liman.
He said: “The defendants were first arraigned on March 1, 2012 before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a 20-count charge of funds misappropriation and money laundering, to which they pleaded not guilty.
“The defendants were subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Ibrahim Buba, following a re-assignment of the case.
“Justice Buba, on September 26, 2014, discharged the defendants of the charges, after upholding their no-case submission.
READ ALSO: AISHA BUHARI: Presidency has been turned to ‘Fuji House of Commotion’ —PDP
“Dissatisfied with the ruling, the EFCC filed a notice of appeal at the Appeal Court, Lagos Division, on September 30, 2014, challenging the decision of the trial court.
“In its appeal, the Commission submitted that the trial Judge erred in law when he held that the counts were incompetent because they were filed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, which was repealed by an Act of 2011.
“The Commission also argued that the lower court erred in law when it held that the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and 2011, only applied to natural persons and corporate bodies other than the government.
“The Commission further submitted that the trial judge erred in law by holding that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses supported the innocence of the defendants.
“The Appellate Court, in its judgement sometime in November 2016, upheld the appeal and ordered a re-trial of the case before another judge.
“In view of this, the defendants approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
“The apex court, in its verdict, upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal and ordered that the case be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for assignment.”
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...