Breaking: Court Gives Final Judgment on Fayose vs EFCC

• Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti state, has been discharged and acquitted of all money laundering charges levelled against him by the EFCC
• The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, July 15, gave the verdict, stating that the EFCC could not present credible evidence to back up its allegation against the former governor
• Fayose has been facing money laundering and fraud charges since the expiration of his tenure as the governor of Ekiti

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has discharged and acquitted Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti state, of all the charges the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought against him in a long-standing money laundering case.

In the suit, the court upheld the no-case submission of the former governor, stating that the anti-graft agency could not establish a prima facie case against Fayose to warrant further hearing of the suit.

When did Fayose's trial start?

Recall that the former governor has been standing trial over the allegations of money laundering and fraud during his time in the Ekiti governor's office.

However, after years of legal battle, the court held that the evidence the EFCC had presented was not substantial enough to charge him.

Vanguard reported that in the suit, the EFCC accused the former governor of receiving a cash payment of N1.8 billion from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence, without making use of any financial institution. The commission also claimed that the amount received by the former governor was beyond what was legally permitted.

The anti-graft agency also accused the former governor of retaining N300 million in his Zenith Bank account and being in control of an additional N622 million. The commission claimed that the funds found in Fayose’s custody were proceeds of crime.

Why EFCC dragged Fayose to court

Similarly, the EFCC alleged that the former governor directed De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd to keep a total of N851 million in their Zenith and FCMB accounts, in which they were expected to acknowledge the money as proceeds of crime.

Another allegation against Fayose was that he spent a total of N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, with the funds alleged to be part of the proceeds of crime.

The former governor was also accused of spending approximately N200 million to buy properties in Abuja using the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji. The EFCC said Fayose should have identified that as unlawful proceeds. The allegations against Fayose were contrary to several provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011.

However, the former governor pleaded not guilty to all the allegations and was subsequently freed by the court.

Isaac Fayose drags Fubara

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu brokered peace between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, but Nigerians have continued to react to it.

Following the deal, reports emerged that the governor agreed not to contest for a second term in office in the 2027 election.

Reacting, Isaac Fayose, the younger brother of the former Ekiti governor, alleged that Fubara made three deals with his godfather.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng