A federal high court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Winifred Oyo-Ita, former head of service (HoS) of the federation, of alleged money laundering, six years after her trial began.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, James Omotosho, the presiding judge, upheld separate no-case submissions filed by Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants.
Oyo-Ita, alongside her personal assistant, Ubong Effiok, and seven others, were standing trial on an 18-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to N570 million.
In his ruling, Omotosho held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, describing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) suit as one “built on the quicksand of speculations, suspicions and shoddy investigation”.
“I must say here that the case presented by the prosecution has no weight whatsoever,” the judge said.
He added that “crucial elements of money laundering offences”, particularly the establishment of a predicate offence, were “glaringly absent”.
The judge found that Oyo-Ita was neither a director nor shareholder in the companies allegedly linked to her, noting that prosecution witnesses admitted this under cross-examination.
On the alleged funds traced to her, Omotosho held that the EFCC failed to prove they were proceeds of any unlawful activity.
“The prosecution did not provide any shred of evidence to show that the monies are tainted with illegality,” he said.
On claims relating to estacodes, duty tour allowances (DTAs), and travel expenses, the judge held that the payments were duly approved, noting that Oyo-Ita was not the approving authority.
Omotosho also faulted the prosecution’s failure to provide documentary evidence of alleged unperformed trips or improper payments.
“There are no memos, travel authorisations, or official records identifying the specific trips allegedly approved,” he said, adding that the court was being invited to “engage in speculation”.
The judge further noted that no administrative query or disciplinary action was shown to have been issued against Oyo-Ita, which he described as a significant omission.
On asset declaration issues, the judge held that the allegations were not properly investigated, further weakening the case.
“The cumulative effect of these evidentiary gaps is fatal to the prosecution’s case,” he said.
Omotosho also rejected several confessional statements attributed to some of the defendants, ruling that they were obtained in violation of statutory provisions requiring video recording and legal representation.
Consequently, the court upheld the no-case submissions.
“Accordingly, the 1st–9th defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted of the 18-count charge,” Omotosho held.
The EFCC had filed the charges on February 28, 2020, accusing the defendants of fraud involving DTAs, estacodes, conference fees, and alleged kickbacks.
Oyo-Ita and other defendants were first arraigned on March 23, 2020, before Taiwo Taiwo, a former judge, and pleaded not guilty.
Following Taiwo’s retirement, the case was reassigned to Omotosho.
The prosecution called eight witnesses before closing its case, after which the defendants opted for no-case submissions, arguing that no credible evidence had been presented to warrant a defence.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
What do you think about this?
Drop your opinion in the comment section.
FOLLOW US & Share this with someone who needs to see this.
