Money Laundering: Ex- Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji, Aide Run To Supreme Court

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Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant, Olabode Atoyebi have filed a notice of appeal against the judgment of Lagos Division of the Appeal Court, ordering their re-trial for money laundering offences before Supreme Court.

In two notices of appeal filed before Supreme Court, the two men, through their counsel, Abiodun Onidare, urged the apex court to set aside the verdict of the Appeal Court.

The appellants described the Appeal Court’s decisions as unreasonable, unwarranted, and cannot be supported having regards to the evidence and materials on record.

Consequently, appellants are urging the Supreme Court, to uphold their no case submissions as upheld by a Federal High Court, in Lagos presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba,on September 26, 2014, and dismiss the Appeal Court’s decision.

The appellants further stated in the notice of appeal that, more grounds of appeal will be filed upon the receipt of the certified true copy of the judgement appealed against.

It would be recalled that the Lagos division of Court of Appeal, had set aside the ruling of Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Lagos Federal High Court which discharged former Speaker, Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant, Oyebode of a 56 count charge of conspiracy and laundering the sum of N500 million belonging to the Assembly, an offences which according to the EFCC contravened sections 15 (1d) and 16(1d) of Money Laundry Act, MLA, 2004 and 2011.

The appellate court in a unanimous judgment set aside the verdict of the trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had made out a prima facie case against the former Speaker and his personal assistant to require them to enter a defence to the charge brought against them.

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