The trial was prematurely
terminated in April 2012 by Justice Charles Archibong, whose decision in the
case later earned him a compulsory retirement from the bench. Justice Archibong
(now retired) had in a judgement delivered on April 2, 2012 struck out the 26
counts contained in a charge numbered FHC/L/443C/2013 filed by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission against Akingbola on the grounds that the
prosecution was not diligent in the handling of the case.
But the Supreme Court, in a
unanimous judgement by a five-man panel of justices, ordered Akingbola to return
to the Federal High Court in Lagos to face charges against him.
A five-man panel of the apex
court led by Justice Tanko Muhammad unanimously affirmed the February 20, 2015
judgement of the Court of Appeal in Lagos which had overturned the Federal High
Court’s decision striking out the charges.
Justice Sidi Bage, who read the
lead judgment of the apex court, said Akingbola’s appeal challenging the Court
of Appeal’s verdict lacked merit.
He ordered that the case be
remitted to the Federal High Court and handled by another judge in the Lagos
Division and be given “expeditious trial.”
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