Former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji is now swimming in N500 million scandal. For those who don’t know, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) took him and his aide before Justice Buba on September 26, 2014 in a 56-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering of the sum of N500 million belonging to the Assembly, and they were discharged by Justice Buba.

However, Justice Biobela Georgewill of The Court of Appeal in Lagos, Nigeria, has ordered a fresh trial in the conspiracy and money-laundering case against them. In delivering the judgment,  Justice Biobela noted that: “Regrettably, the court below went on a voyage of its own, discussing cash payment of millions made to the Super Eagles in Brazil, even without any scintilla of evidence before it, instead of remaining focused on the issue at hand.”

“Does the fact that all persons likely to have committed a particular alleged offence had not been prosecuted a reason for the court to decline jurisdiction of one of them being prosecuted?  Certainly not. I consider many of the issues raised so randomly by the court below as irrelevant and inconsequential to the just determination of the question before it, which is, whether the appellant made out a prima facie case against the respondents or not.”

“The attitude of the lower court “considering between the decision of this court and its own decision on which one to follow, even when its attention was called to the decision of this court. I have no difficulty resolving the sole issue for determination in the negative against the respondents in favour of the appellant and I hold firmly therefore, that the appeal has merit and ought to be allowed.”