Court Fixes Nov. 14 for Adoption of Addresses in Suit against Ex-Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji

Wale Igbintade

Justice Muhammad Lima of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday fixed November 14, for the adoption of written addresses in the trial of former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, over alleged N338.8 million money laundering.

The Justice Lima adjourned for adoption of written addresses after the defence lawyer tendered the Certified True Copy of court proceedings before Justice Ibrahim Buba in 2014.

At the resumed hearing of the proceedings yesterday, the Defence Counsel, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN), called as a witness, the former Chief Accountant of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adewale Olatunji, to tender the Certified True Copy of the 2014 proceedings.

The court also admitted as exhibit, Olatunji’s statement made during interrogation with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Olatunji, who was subpoenaed by the court, had earlier testified as the second prosecution witness in the trial.

At the last adjourned date on May 4, 2023, the former speaker during his examination-in-chief, told the court that his trial was politically motivated.

Ikuforiji stated that the initial allegations made against him by the commission were on fraud and misappropriation of funds, which the commission later changed to money laundering.

He said: “My Lord, Sir, I am still surprised that the EFCC will charge anybody for  money laundering, because the person collected from money brought from bank to the treasury of the House of Assembly, which is an arm of government.

“It is a pity that I am standing trial today  based on a faceless petition, that has no name or address of the writer, who alleged that I committed a fraud or misappropriated the sum of over N7 billion. But, politicians for what we are when you stepped on somebody’s toes, you’re bound to have many enemies.

“It is likely that I have a lot of enemies, and that is why we have this petition by an unknown writer. Who even know if the petition is from an individual and not from the EFCC itself?”

Ikuforiji claimed that as a three term speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the EFCC would not be the first to charge him if he had indeed committed such infraction because members of the House would have dealt with him, first by impeaching him before handing him over to law enforcement agency.

Denying the allegation of money laundering that was leveled against him,  Ikuforiji said that as the head of the legislative arm of government, his role in any financial issue is to give final approval to memo put before him, after the Office of the Clerk and that of the finance department have done their work on it.

“I don’t handle cash, or disbursement of funds, it is the duty of the Office of the Clerk and the finance department to do that” he added.

When asked if the second defendant, Oyebode Atoyebi, who was his personal assistant, did collect cash on his behalf, Ikuforiji said: “Atoyebi collected money or cash for the Office of the Speaker, who at that time had over 100 staff, and definitely not for the speaker in person. Atoyebi can collect money for the running of the Office of the Speaker and allowances of other staff.”

On the status of the employment of Oyebode Atoyebi, the former speaker said that Atoyebi being a staff of Lagos State Government was seconded to the Office of the Speaker.