Court Dismisses Bid to Halt N1.9bn Fraud Prosecution

On September 29, 2023, Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed an application filed by defendants Timothy Fashina and Oluwabukola Anthony Imonina, who sought to stop their prosecution for an alleged N1.9 billion fraud involving MTN Nigeria. The defendants argued that the prosecutor, Deputy Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Jackson, should be disqualified due to his retirement, claiming he no longer had the authority to continue the prosecution.

However, the prosecution countered that the police retained the legal authority to pursue the case despite Jackson's retirement. Justice Kakaki upheld the prosecution's argument, leading to the dismissal of the defendants' application.

The court adjourned the matter to September 29, 2026, for further hearings, with the defendants having previously pleaded not guilty to charges related to cybercrime, unauthorized access to a computer network, and money laundering under the Cybercrime Act and Money Laundering Act.