Appeal Court decides on Dr. Erastus Akingbola 47.5 billion theft case

According to a report by PM News, a Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has quashed the 22-count charge brought against the former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC had alleged that Akingbola stole N47.5 billion belonging to the bank. The report below...

    Ruling on Akingbola’s application on jurisdiction, the court presided over by Justice Amina Augie held that the High Court of Lagos State presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed against him by the commission

Justice Augie said it amounted to miscarriage of justice for the lower court to have dismissed Akingbola’s application challenging its jurisdiction on the matter.
“The appeal is meritorious and allowed,” she declared.
“I am convinced that the lower court refused to align itself with the decision of this court in Nwosu’s case,” she further held.
Akingbola and his co-defendant, Bayo Dada, had filed two separate applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the 22-count charge filed against them by the EFCC.
But, the lower court, in its ruling on 2 May, 2014 dismissed their applications.
Justice Lawal-Akapo had then held that the charges preferred against the defendants were within its competence and jurisdiction to determine.

...

 She emphasised that the issue of jurisdiction should not have been toyed with by the lower court.
“I agree with the appellant that the lower court ought to have gone through the proof of evidence.
“There is no way a charge of stealing can stand without going through the proof of evidence,” she declared.

PM News

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