The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of Jimoh Yisawu, former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd, charged with money laundering until Jan. 18.
The case, which was scheduled for trial before Justice Inyang Ekwo, could not proceed on Monday due to pre-election matters before the court.
Besides, Justice Ekwo current shares courtroom with Justice Chigozie Onah of Court 15 as a result of ongoing removation in some of the other courts.
The case was subsequently fixed for Jan. 18, Jan. 19, and Jan. 20, 2027, for commencement of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on July 20, arraigned Yisawu on eight-count charge before Justice Ekwo and pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
After his not guilty plea, the EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, sought a date for the commencement of trial.
The defence counsel, Wale Balogun, SAN, got the court’s permission to move the defendant’s bail application.
Although Iheanacho opposed the bail application, Justice Ekwo granted it on the grounds that the alleged offences were bailable.
Yisawu was admitted to N500 million bail with one surety in like sum.
The judge said the surety must be a responsible citizen who must own a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and which documents must be verified.
Justice Ekwo, who ordered Yisawu to deposit his international passport with the court, held that the defendant must not travel outside jurisdiction without the permission of the court.
The judge then adjourned the matter until Oct. 25, Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 for commencement of trial.
Yisawu is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency on allegations bordering on money laundering offences when he served as the MD of the refinery and former public worker with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).
The EFCC, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, alleged that Yisawu laundered public funds and used part of the money to purchase treasury bills for himself.
The charge, dated and filed on June 22 by Iheanacho, had Yisawu as sole defendant.
The offense, the EFCC said, is contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
NAN reports that a sister case, in which Ahmed Dikko, the former Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd (PHRC), is being prosecuted over the same offence of money laundering, also suffered a setback on Oct. 14 when the matter came up.
Justice Ekwo shifted the commencement of trial to Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.
Dikko, who was arraigned on July 8 alongside a company, Masterpiece Projects & Investment Ltd, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defendant was also admitted to a N50 million bail with one surety in like sum.
The EFCC, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026, named Dikko and Masterpiece Projects Ltd as 1st and 2nd defendants.
In the charge dated and filed on June 22 by the commission’s counsel, Iheanacho, the anti-graft agency accused Dikko in one of the counts of using N218 million to buy property in Abuja.
The prosecution said the offence is contrary to Sections 2 (1) (a) and 19 (1) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.
