The trial of Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the Speaker of the Lagos State House
of Assembly, continued Tuesday with the prosecution witness detailing
how the defendants allegedly laundered millions of Naira.
Adebayo Adeniyi, the EFCC witness, told the court how the defendants
collected N13.5 million for honorarium, N4.5 million for renovation of
the Speaker’s residence, and N1.5 million for the Speaker’s Guest House
every month for six consecutive months.
Mr. Ikuforiji and Oyebode Atoyebi, his aide, are facing a 54-count
amended charge of money laundering amounting to over N600 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, accused the
Speaker and his aide of receiving the money from the Lagos State House
of Assembly without passing through a financial institution.
The trial was adjourned last January for the prosecution to provide a
summarized version of the monies collected by Mr. Ikuforiji and his
aide.
But on Tuesday, Godwin Obla, counsel to the EFCC, said that he would
rather continue with his previous method to avoid any grounds for
appeal.
It was a painstaking effort that required Mr. Obla to go through each
of the transactions with the witness. The judge admitted that, but
overruled the defence’s plea that the prosecution tabulate the relevant
sections of the transactions.
“We’ve lost time. We vacated three days for that exercise to be done,” said Ibrahim Buba, the trial judge.
“What I understand the prosecution to be doing is trying to go
through the records viz a viz each count of the allegation. They are
entitled to do so.
“It is indeed difficult, if not laborious,” Mr. Buba added.
