CA/L/174/19 – FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA v. CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME (SAN)
The Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/L/174/19 – FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA v. CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME (SAN) settled the debate on whether legal fees are proceeds of unlawful activity.
FACTS
The facts of the case stemmed from an arms deal procurement by the Federal Government. There were allegations of embezzlement of the arms deal money leading to an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (hereinafter simply referred to as (“EFCC”). In the course of investigation, EFCC approached the Lagos division of the Federal High Court presided by Hon Justice M.B Idris (as He then was) and obtained an interim order to freeze some bank accounts linked to Governor Ayodele Fayose, the former Governor of Ekiti State. Fayose subsequently approached the Ado Ekiti division of the same court presided by Hon. Justice Taiwo Taiwo and obtained judgment setting aside the earlier order of Idris J.