Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, discharged and acquitted the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, of laundering charges.

According to Punch, Buba also discharged Ikuforiji’s aide Oyebode Atoyebi of the same crime.

Explaining his decision, the justice said that the prosecution failed to prove the acts incriminated to the defendants.

In his ruling, the judge described the trial as “anachronistic” and should not have been allowed to continue.

 “This proceeding should have been treated as an aborted trial and the charges should have been withdrawn,” he added.

There was a loud scream by Mr. Ikuforiji’s supporters in the courtroom as the judge ended his ruling.

It would be recalled that last year Ikuforiji was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of laundering about N600 million and arraigned before the Federal High Court on 56 accounts bordering on conspiracy.

The EFCC accused the Speaker and his aide of receiving the money from the Lagos State House of Assembly without passing through a financial institution.

The trial was adjourned last January for the prosecution to provide a summarized version of the monies collected by Mr. Ikuforiji and his aide.