ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Hon. Gbenga Makanjuola and Kolawole Shittu, two former aides to former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who had been facing trial for over eight years on charges of alleged N3.5 billion money laundering.
Following the court ruling on Thursday, July 25, 2024, Makanjuola expressed his relief and gratitude, stating, “To God be the glory, I have been vindicated. It’s been a tough journey for me for almost eight years, but at the end of the day, I just want to thank God for seeing me through.”
He praised the court’s decision, noting that a recent Supreme Court ruling confirmed the funds in question were part of a legitimate and valid commercial transaction.
“The court confirmed that with the Supreme Court judgment, the criminal charges cannot proceed again, and that’s the end of it,” Makanjuola added.
Makanjuola and Shittu were represented by Senior Advocates Paul Erokoro and Ojukwu, with the third defendant represented by Mr. Wale Adewumi and his team.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially arraigned Makanjuola and three others before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, in 2018.
The charges included conspiracy, money laundering, and the payment of funds without going through financial institutions.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to disguise the origin of N3.5 billion deposited into Melrose General Services Limited’s Access Bank account in December 2016.
The EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Iheanacho, had accused Melrose General Services, along with Obiora Amobi, the operation manager, of making a cash payment of N300 million to Robert Mbonu from the N3.5 billion without using a financial institution.
Makanjuola and Shittu were also alleged to have made cash payments of $500,000 without involving any financial institution in December 2016. These actions, the EFCC argued, violated the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were initially granted bail in the sum of N250 million each with two sureties.
They subsequently challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charges, arguing that the charges were invalid and violated principles of law. In 2020, the court struck out the case based on these grounds.
Despite this, the EFCC, under counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, re-filed the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja in January 2021.
The defendants were rearraigned in May 2024 before Hon. Justice P.O. Lifu on amended charges of conspiracy, accepting cash payments beyond the legal threshold, and theft. Once again, they pleaded not guilty, and their bail applications were granted.
