RismadarVoice Reporters, May 6, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, of alleged money laundering charges, six years after the trial commenced.
Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, upheld the no-case submissions filed by Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants, declaring them meritorious.
Oyo-Ita, alongside her Personal Assistant, Ubong Effiok, and seven others, had been standing trial over allegations involving about ₦570 million.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho faulted the prosecution’s case, describing it as weak and lacking in substance.
“The case presented by the prosecution has no weight whatsoever,” the judge held, adding that it was “built on speculations, suspicions and shoddy investigation.”
He further noted that essential elements required to prove money laundering—particularly the establishment of a predicate offence—were not demonstrated by the prosecution.
The ruling effectively brings an end to the long-running trial, with the court clearing all the defendants of the charges.
