N6.9bn fraud: We’ll appeal Fayose’s acquittal, says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will appeal the judgement acquitting and discharging former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose from alleged money laundering.

A Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, discharged and acquitted Fayose of all the charges of money laundering brought against him by the EFCC.

The presiding judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, upheld Fayose’s no-case submission on the ground that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him to warrant his defence.

Fayose had been standing trial on allegations bordering on money laundering and fraud during his tenure as governor of Ekiti State.

Money laundering: Court frees Fayose after 7-year trial

Reacting via a statement on Wednesday, the EFCC said it is “already studying the ruling and preparing for an appeal.”

The anti-graft agency further reaffirmed its “commitment to the rule of law as it briefs its counsel to appeal the judgment.”

Fayose was re-arraigned on July 2, 2019, alongside Spotless Investment Limited on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing to the tune of N6.9 billion.

The Star