Court Clears Ayodele Fayose of N6.9bn Money Laundering Charges After Seven-Year Trial
Story written by okafor joseph (July 16, 2025):
Lagos, Nigeria — July 16, 2025 – A Federal High Court in Lagos has acquitted former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose of all charges related to an alleged N6.9 billion money laundering case after a prolonged seven-year legal battle.
The ruling followed a no-case submission filed by Fayose’s legal counsel, who argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the former governor. Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke agreed with the defence, ruling that the evidence presented was insufficient to proceed to a full trial.
Spotless Investment Limited, co-accused in the case, was also cleared. Counsel to the company, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, filed a no-case submission on March 21, 2025, with supporting documents submitted on May 16. He argued that key prosecution testimonies, including that of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence, were inconsistent and lacked direct links implicating Fayose in any wrongdoing.
Obanikoro, one of the EFCC’s primary witnesses, admitted under cross-examination that there was no direct communication between Fayose and the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, from whom the funds allegedly originated.
Despite opposition from EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Jacobs, who pointed to “suspicious transactions” and alleged that Fayose used proxies to acquire luxury properties in Lagos, Abuja, and overseas, the court ruled that the prosecution did not provide sufficient grounds to proceed with the charges.
Jacobs had argued that if the funds were legitimate, the properties should have been purchased in Fayose’s name. He also cited testimony that Fayose had asked for cash payments and introduced Abiodun Agbele to collect the funds on his behalf.
However, the court determined that these claims were not backed by credible evidence strong enough to justify continuing the case.
With this verdict, Ayodele Fayose is officially cleared of all allegations related to the N6.9 billion fraud case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since 2018.
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