EFCC Loses As Court Throws Out N21bn Money Laundering Charge Against Ex-Air Chief Amosun

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday upheld the preliminary objection filed by a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun, and two others, which sought an order striking out the N21.5bn money laundry charges instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had on June 29, 2016, charged Amosun; a former Nigeria Air Force Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun; and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga, on 26-counts bordering on money laundering.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, insisting they did not conspire to divert funds meant for the NAF.

The legal team of the defendants then filed a preliminary objection, urging the court to decline jurisdiction on the matter and arguing that such matter ought to commence at a court-martial if need be.

In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke agreed with the defendants that the court of first instance on allegations against serving military officers was the court martial, which is the justice system within the military.

“As officers of the armed forces, they ought to have been first investigated by the armed forces and tried rather than charging them before this court,” the judge held while quashing the charges and voiding all the investigations conducted against the defendants outside the military’s internal mechanism.