The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has struck out the forgery charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Cleanserve’s Chairman, Azubuike Ishiekwene, and Managing Director/CEO, Olalekan Abdul. In a ruling delivered on January 30, 2025, Justice Mojisola Dada declared that the case be struck out, and the defendants discharged and acquitted under Section 73 (i) and (ii) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2021.
Ishiekwene and Abdul were initially arraigned in 2020 on 26 counts of forgery, conspiracy, stealing, and possessing fraudulent documents. Despite the serious charges, both defendants pleaded not guilty. Over the course of the trial, which began five years ago, the prosecution presented nine witnesses, while the defense called four witnesses.
The case took a dramatic turn when the defense challenged the EFCC’s use of a Lagos State fiat in the prosecution. They claimed that a $20,000 bribe had been demanded by an EFCC operative to “kill the matter” due to weak evidence, with the bribe allegedly offered to a compromised operative. The matter was reported to the EFCC, leading to a sting operation in which the bribe demand was recorded, and the operative was subsequently apprehended.
In light of this, the office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State, led by Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), reviewed the case and took over the prosecution. The court then ordered the EFCC to recover the $20,000 bribe, which was admitted as evidence. The AG’s office later filed a notice of discontinuance under Section 211(1)(C) of the Constitution.
Following this, the EFCC dropped 20 of the 26 charges and amended the charge against Ishiekwene, leaving only one count, which was eventually dropped, leading to his discharge. The case against Abdul was further amended, and on January 30, 2025, before his new arraignment, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), assumed control of the case. The AGF later sought to withdraw the suit under Section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
On March 5, 2025, Justice Dada delivered her final judgment, discharging and acquitting both defendants under Section 73 (1) and (11) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), 2021. The defendants were freed, bringing an end to the long-running legal battle.
