A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, of alleged N570 million fraud and money laundering charges, bringing an end to a six-year legal battle.
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho upheld no-case submissions filed by Oyo-Ita and the other defendants, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
Oyo-Ita, alongside her aide Ubong Effiok and seven others, had been facing an 18-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged fraud involving duty tour allowances, estacodes, and conference-related payments.
However, the court held that the case lacked credible evidence, describing it as based on speculation and poor investigation. The judge noted that the prosecution failed to prove that any of the funds in question were proceeds of illegal activity.
He also pointed out that Oyo-Ita was neither a director nor shareholder in the companies linked to the allegations, and that key elements required to prove money laundering — including a predicate offence — were missing.
On claims of improper travel payments, the court found that the expenses were duly approved and that Oyo-Ita was not responsible for authorising them. The judge further criticised the absence of supporting documents such as memos or travel records.
Additionally, several confessional statements presented by the prosecution were rejected for not complying with legal requirements, including the lack of video recording and legal representation during their collection.
With these findings, the court ruled that the prosecution’s case could not stand, and all defendants were formally discharged and acquitted of the charges.
