A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday morning discharged and acquitted former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, of all counts in the protracted money laundering case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to a report by Daily Watch Nigeria.
Delivering judgment, the court upheld Fayose’s no-case submission, ruling that the EFCC had failed to establish a prima facie case warranting his defence. The presiding judge stated that the prosecution’s evidence was not strong enough to sustain the allegations levelled against the former governor.
Mr Fayose had faced trial for several years on charges related to alleged money laundering and fraud during his tenure as governor of Ekiti State. The case, which had drawn significant public attention, centred around accusations that Fayose misappropriated public funds while in office.
However, after exhaustive legal proceedings, the court concluded that the evidence brought forward by the anti-graft agency did not meet the required legal threshold. In its ruling, the court emphasised that continuing the trial without sufficient evidence would amount to a miscarriage of justice.
With Tuesday’s verdict, Mr Ayodele Fayose has been formally cleared of all allegations connected to the case, marking the end of a long-running legal battle between him and the EFCC.
