The scheduled ruling on a no-case submission filed by former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, was on Thursday, July 10, 2025, stalled due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Justice Aneke was reportedly unavailable due to an official emergency that required his immediate attention, resulting in the adjournment of the ruling on the application.
Fayose, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited, is standing trial on an 11-count charge of alleged money laundering and stealing amounting to N6.9 billion. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned the defendants on July 2, 2019. The case was initially brought before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun in October 2018.
At the last hearing on May 19, 2025, Fayose’s counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), argued that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against the former governor, insisting that the charges lacked legal foundation and pointing out that an alleged co-conspirator, Abiodun Agbele, was not charged alongside Fayose.
Olalekan Ojo (SAN), counsel to the second defendant, also adopted the no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution’s case was weak and unsustainable.
However, EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the application. He maintained that the defendants failed to explain suspicious transactions and questioned why Fayose did not use his personal account for the alleged legitimate funds. Jacobs also cited witness testimonies, including that of EFCC investigator Abubakar Madaki and former Minister Musiliu Obanikoro, linking Fayose to questionable property acquisitions through associates.
The court had fixed July 10, 2025, to deliver a ruling on whether Fayose has a case to answer, but this has now been postponed. A new date is expected to be announced.
