In a historic judgement, The Ikeja Special Offences Court has directed the EFCC to return $20,000 to Lagos entrepreneur Olalekan Abdul who was recently acquitted of fraud allegations.
The ruling was produced after consideration of a motion filed by Abdul’s legal team. Justice Dada ordered that the funds admitted into evidence as Exhibit B during Abdul’s trial be released to him from the escrow domiciliary account at Polaris Bank where they were held on court orders for the duration of the case.
Also, the court lifted the NGN10 million that had previously been maintained at Mrs. Jemilat Oluremi Yusuf-Sada, Abdul’s surety, bank account as a bail condition from January 2020.
Abdul and Azubuike Ishiekwene, the Chairman of Cleanserve were arraigned by the EFCC in 2020, on a 26-count charge stretching from conspiracy, forgery, stealing and false documents. The case was prompted by Mr. Chris Ndulue, who alleged he was a director though records did not reflect any such position.
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Both defendants denied the charges and after a lengthy five-year trial that included nine witnesses for the prosecution and four for the defense, they were acquitted by the court on March 5, 2025.
The case emerged as one of public interest and attracted controversy when an operative of the EFCC allegedly solicited a bribe of $20,000 in 2019 to terminate the investigation. Following orders from the EFCC’s former secretary, a sanctioned sting operation led to the operative being apprehended. However, the former EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu suppressed the report and made the defendants the targets.
Finally, Mr. Lawal Pedro, the Lagos State Attorney-General made a decision to take over the matter and subsequently dismissed the charges.
