The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained an order from Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos to retrieve all documents presented as exhibits in the N4.6 billion money laundering trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.

The order will allow the EFCC to re-file the charges before the Abuja division of the court. This decision follows a judgement by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that the Abuja division of the Federal High Court has the jurisdiction to hear the case rather than Lagos.

Fani-Kayode was charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd. They were accused of laundering N4.6bn in the build-up to the 2015 general elections in 17 counts.

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During the trial before Justice Rilwan Aikawa in Lagos, the defendants objected to the jurisdiction of the court, stating that the facts of the case happened in Abuja, not Lagos. However, Justice Aikawa dismissed their objection, leading to the defendants going on appeal.

The apeal court later upheld the defendants’ appeal, ruling that the Lagos court lacks jurisdiction over the case. In the resumed hearing of the case, EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), requested the release of all exhibits and documents tendered by the prosecution in view of the Court of Appeal’s judgement.

The EFCC alleged that Fani-Kayode and others unlawfully retained over N4.6bn, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful acts of stealing and corruption.