The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, 26th March, 2013 formerly applied for the withdrawal of charges against two former commissioners under Alhaji Ibrahim Idris tenure, Chief Abiodun Ojo and Chief T.J. Faniyi in a financial crime case that has been going on for the past three years at the Federal High Court, Lokoja.
Hon. T.J. Faniyi is the immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture and a onetime commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs while Chief Abiodun Ojo is a former commissioner for finance in Kogi State.
The case was first filed in Abuja in 2010 and transferred to Lokoja in 2011. But in a dramatic faux pas, the prosecution counsel to EFCC, Lawyer Shittu informed the presiding judge, Hon. I.E. Ekwo that he has instructions from his client, EFCC to withdraw charges against the 3rd (Chief T.J Faniyi) and 4th (Chief Abiodun Ojo) accused persons for lack of evidence and substance. He also withdrew the response file against them dated 15th March 2013.
He apologised to the court and the two accused persons on behalf of EFCC.
In his response, counsel to the two ex-commissioners, Pius Akubo, SAN, said the withdrawal of charges against Ojo and Faniyi is a welcome though dramatic development.
Akubo described it as a development that is coming after three years of needless oppression and humiliation of his clients. He said there is no doubt that the prosecution was politically motivated, targeted at truncating the senatorial aspiration of Chief T.J Faniyi and the gubernatorial ambition of Chief Abiodun Ojo but it is better late than never.
