A Federal High Court in Abuja has cleared former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, of alleged fraud and money laundering charges involving N570 million.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday by James Omotosho, brought to an end a legal battle that lasted six years.
The court upheld the no-case submissions filed by Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence linking them to the alleged offences.
Oyo-Ita, alongside her personal assistant and seven others, had been standing trial on an 18-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged financial misconduct and money laundering.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho described the prosecution’s case as weak and lacking credible evidence, stating that it was based on “speculation, suspicion and poor investigation.”
According to the judge, the prosecution failed to prove that the funds traced to the former Head of Service were proceeds of illegal activities.
The court also held that Oyo-Ita had no ownership or control over the companies connected to the allegations, noting that prosecution witnesses confirmed she was neither a director nor shareholder in the firms.
Justice Omotosho further dismissed allegations concerning estacodes and duty tour allowances, ruling that the payments were officially approved and that Oyo-Ita was not responsible for authorising them.
He also faulted the prosecution for failing to present documents such as travel approvals, memos, or official records to support claims of irregular payments.
The judge added that no evidence of disciplinary action or official query against the former Head of Service was presented before the court.
The court equally rejected alleged confessional statements made by some defendants, ruling that they were obtained without following proper legal procedures.
Consequently, the court discharged and acquitted all nine defendants, formally ending the case which began in 2020.