BREAKING: Court dismisses all money laundering charges against Ayodele Fayose

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has discharged and acquitted former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, of all charges related to the N2.2 billion money laundering case filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering the ruling on Tuesday morning, the court upheld Fayose’s no-case submission, stating that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against him that would warrant entering a defence.

“The prosecution failed to link the defendant to the alleged crimes in a manner that warrants this court to call upon him to open his defence,” the court held.

Fayose had been standing trial for several years over allegations of laundering public funds during his tenure as governor of Ekiti State. However, the court found that the evidence presented by the anti-graft agency lacked merit and failed to directly implicate the former governor.

Earlier in the proceedings, Fayose was also granted leave by the court to travel abroad for medical treatment, following a separate application.