Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss the N6.9 billion fraud charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission citing lack of evidence.
According to The PUNCH, at the hearing on Monday, Fayose, through his legal counsel Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case linking him to the alleged offences.
“The charges are baseless and lack the foundational elements necessary for prosecution,” Agabi told Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke. “There is no co-conspirator charged alongside the defendant, and the predicate offences do not stand.”
The EFCC had accused Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, of involvement in multiple counts of money laundering and fraud, including the alleged receipt of N1.2 billion to fund his 2014 governorship campaign and handling $5 million in cash from then Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Olalekan Ojo (SAN), representing Spotless Investment Limited, also adopted a separate no-case submission filed in March. He challenged the credibility of Obanikoro’s testimony, noting that the former minister admitted during cross-examination that there was no direct contact between Fayose and former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who allegedly released the funds.
“The credibility of the EFCC’s 13th witness has been significantly undermined,” Ojo argued. “Without direct evidence linking Fayose to Dasuki, the entire narrative becomes questionable.”
EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to reject the no-case submissions. He argued that Fayose deliberately used third-party accounts and proxies to acquire properties, thereby avoiding financial scrutiny.
“If the funds were legitimate, why didn’t he purchase the properties in his own name?” Jacobs questioned. “We have evidence from our investigators that these properties were falsely claimed by associates who later denied ownership.”
Jacobs also referenced Obanikoro’s testimony, which indicated that Fayose personally requested the funds and introduced his associate, Abiodun Agbele, to facilitate the delivery.
Following the arguments, Justice Aneke granted Fayose’s request to travel abroad for medical treatment and scheduled July 10, 2025, for ruling on the no-case submission.
The case, initially filed in 2018 and handled by retired Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, was reassigned to Justice Aneke upon her retirement. The EFCC maintains that Fayose violated the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, by using companies such as De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd to channel illicit funds.