Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos upheld the no-case submission filed by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and discharged him of all charges.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, on July 2, 2019, on 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing to the tune of N6.9 billion. The case was initially filed on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
Responding to the no case submission, the prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the submissions. He referred to a counter-affidavit and written address dated May 8, 2025, asserting that the defendants failed to adequately explain the suspicious financial transactions. Jacobs questioned why Fayose did not use his personal bank account if the transactions were legitimate. He further noted that EFCC investigator Abubakar Madaki had testified that Fayose used associates to purchase properties in Nigeria and abroad—associates who later denied ownership, despite Fayose claiming the properties in his statement.
In his ruling, Justice Aneke held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants and consequently discharged and acquitted them. Following the verdict, Jacobs stated that efforts are underway to obtain the certified copy of the judgment and prepare grounds for an appeal.
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