Court Acquits Winifred Oyo-Ita of N570m Money Laundering

On Tuesday, the Federal High Court Abuja discharged and acquitted Winifred Oyo-Ita, the former Head of Service, of N570 million money laundering charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice James Omotosho upheld a no-case submission made by Oyo-Ita and her eight co-defendants, stating that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against them during the six-year trial.

The judge criticized the anti-graft agency's case as being built on "quicksand" and lacking substantial evidence. He noted that the prosecution did not prove that the funds were traced to any unlawful activities and highlighted the absence of crucial elements required to establish the money laundering offense.

The court found that Oyo-Ita had properly approved travel allowances and that the prosecution's evidence was speculative and insufficient. The EFCC had initially arraigned Oyo-Ita and others in March 2020 on charges related to border fraud and kickbacks.