A photo file of Ayodele Fayose

The federal high court in Lagos has discharged and acquitted former Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose of all charges in the ₦6.9 billion money laundering and theft case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering the ruling, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke upheld a no-case submission filed by Fayose’s legal team, stating that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against him. The court found that the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence directly linking Fayose to the alleged crimes.

Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Ltd, were facing an 11-count charge related to alleged money laundering, conspiracy, and property acquisition through proxies—purportedly from funds connected to the former National Security Adviser’s office. The charges stemmed from transactions that allegedly took place during his 2014 gubernatorial campaign, including the receipt of ₦1.2 billion and $5 million in cash from former Minister Musiliu Obanikoro.

Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), representing Fayose, argued that key figures like Abiodun Agbele, allegedly central to the transactions, were not charged, significantly weakening the EFCC’s case. He also stressed that the predicate offences, such as criminal breach of trust and conspiracy, were not substantiated.

The EFCC’s case, initially filed in 2018 before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, was later reassigned to Justice Aneke, who has now ruled that Fayose has no case to answer.

This decision marks a significant development in one of Nigeria’s long-running high-profile corruption cases.