Ikuforiji’s trial adjourned to Sept 30 over judges’ transfer

 Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, 62, former speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, has been on trial over money laundering filed  against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. OpenLife reporter, Joke Ashade, reports the latest on the on going trial

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos,  Nigeria, on March 18, adjoined the trial of the embattled former speaker of the Lagos State House of  Assembly, Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and his aide Oyebode Alade Atoyebi over N673 million alleged money laundering to September 30.

The case is before Justice Mohammed Liman.

While the parties who were present in Court awaited for their matter to be called,  the registrar announced the adjournment, saying that there is directive from the Chief Judge of the court that new cases should not be opened for trial because of the impending transfer of Judges.

The  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), had  on the 11th of December, 2019 re – arraigned the former Ikuforiji and his aide  Atoyebi before Justice  Liman following the Supreme Court decision that the former speaker  be retried  for money laundering case. 

The former speaker and his aide were discharged and acquitted by a Federal High Court in Lagos of 54 counts amended charge of laundering N673 million

However when the case was pursued to the Supreme Court on appeal by the EFCC, the Apex court ordered for a retrial of the case by re-assigning the case to another judge of the Federal High Court.

 In a  54-count amended charge of money laundering filed  against the former Speaker of  Lagos State House of Assembly,  Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi before the court  it was alleged that Ikuforiji and Atoyebi between April 2010 and August 2011 conspired together  to commit illegal act, to wit, accepting various cash payments amounting to the sum of N 673 million from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through financial institution, thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 18a of the Money Laundering Act 2011.The two defendants pleaded not guilty, and they are currently on bail earlier granted them by the court.

Born on August 24, 1958, in Epe Local Government area of Lagos State southwestern Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji  is an  economist, lawyer, politician and  lawmaker

He attended Local Authority Central School in Epe before he proceeded to Epe Grammar School where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate on July 1975.

He received a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Babes-Bolva University and Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies  respectively.  He later obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Lagos  in 1980.

He began his political career as the general secretary of the Unity Party of Nigeria . In 2003, he contested the seat of his constituency, Epe constituency I and was elected, member of Lagos State House of Assembly . On December 2005, he was elected as Speaker  under the platform of Alliance for Democracy.

 On  June 4,  2007 he was re-elected for the second term as speaker of the 6th Assembly  having emerged as winner of the race from his constituency. On 4 July 2011,  he was re-elected again for the third term as speaker of the 7th Assembly that ran till July 3, 2015 when he was charged for corruption following his unsuccessful bid for House of Reps