A Lagos Federal High Court on Tuesday ruled that the N4.9bn money laundering case involving former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode will be heard in Lagos and not Abuja.
Justice Rilwan Aikwa gave the ruling while stating that the case cannot be transferred to Abuja because the case was reassigned from Justice Muslim Hassan to him by the Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta.
The judge held that some of the transactions in question happened in Lagos, as a result the Federal High Court has jurisdiction over the case.
Justice Aikwa gave the ruling while dismissing the application of Fani-Kayode, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the alleged N4.9bn fraud suit leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“I am of the view that based on the facts and circumstances of this case, there is no justification for the transfer of this case to Abuja. The application lacks merit and is hereby dismissed” the judge held.
Auta, had earlier reassigned Fani-Kayode’s case to Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos, after Justice Muslim Hassan withdrew from the suit in March 2017.
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