The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed outrage over the acquittal of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, in a N6.9 billion fraud case. The anti-graft agency has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
Fayose was discharged and acquitted on Wednesday by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who ruled that the EFCC failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The verdict also cleared his company, Spotless Investment Limited, of all charges.
The former governor had faced an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing. He was accused of receiving cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser during the Jonathan administration through former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
Fayose pleaded not guilty when the trial began in 2018 and insisted the funds were for his gubernatorial campaign. The EFCC, however, claimed the money was part of a slush fund diverted from national security coffers.
Reacting to the judgment, the EFCC expressed dissatisfaction and announced its readiness to appeal. According to the agency's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, legal teams have been instructed to file necessary papers at the Court of Appeal to reverse what the Commission sees as a grave miscarriage of justice.
Fayose, known for his combative political style, has repeatedly maintained that the case was politically motivated. With the EFCC heading to the appellate court, the legal battle is far from over.