The Federal Capital Territory High Court has ruled that legislative aides are public officers and can be prosecuted under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
According to a statement by Okor Odey, head of Media and Public Communications, ICPC, the court made the landmark declaration while convicting a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Onamusi Onadeko, on a corruption-related charge brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Onadeko, who represented Ogun East Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, was prosecuted over his alleged involvement in the award and execution of constituency projects worth N68.7 million while serving as a senior legislative aide to the late Senator Buruji Kashamu.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, July 30, 2026, Justice Chizoba Oji rejected the defence argument that Onadeko could not be prosecuted under provisions of the ICPC Act because his appointment as a legislative aide was temporary, short-term, and non-pensionable.
The judge, relying on the defendant’s letter of appointment and the Supreme Court’s decision in Federal Government of Nigeria v. Farouk Lawan, held that legislative aides are public officers for the purpose of the law.
The court further held that the status applies to public appointees irrespective of whether their appointments are temporary, fixed-term, or non-pensionable, provided they receive salaries, allowances, or other emoluments from public funds.
The ICPC described the judgment as significant, saying it had affirmed that personal assistants, special assistants, senior special assistants, legislative aides, and senior legislative aides to public officeholders fall within the definition of public officers under the ICPC Act.
The commission had, in an 11-count amended charge, accused Onadeko of using his private companies, Stanton Engineering Limited and Haines and Baines Limited, to execute constituency projects while serving as a senior legislative aide to Kashamu, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019.
According to the ICPC, the contracts included the purchase of ambulances, supply of hospital equipment and drugs to primary healthcare centres and construction of classrooms in selected schools across six communities in Ogun East.
The commission alleged that the contracts were awarded to companies in which Onadeko allegedly held directorial positions while simultaneously serving as a legislative aide, contrary to Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
During the eight-year trial, the prosecution also accused Onadeko of making contradictory statements concerning his relationship with Haines and Baines Limited.
The ICPC said Onadeko had stated in an affidavit dated June 30, 2016, that he was a director of the company but later told investigators on May 5, 2017, that he was neither a shareholder nor director.
The commission said the alleged contradictory statement violated Section 25(1)(b) of the ICPC Act.
Onadeko, through his counsel, Wahab Olatoyebi, had argued that his appointment as a senior legislative aide was on a short-term basis and non-pensionable and therefore did not make him a public officer within the meaning of the law.
The court, however, rejected the argument.
Justice Oji found Onadeko guilty on Count 11, relating to making inconsistent statements, but discharged and acquitted him on Counts 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Following allocutus by the defence counsel, the court sentenced the former lawmaker to nine months’ imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine.
The ICPC said the judgment had clarified the legal status of legislative aides and other similar appointees who receive public funds.
It said the ruling would reinforce accountability among political office holders and their aides, particularly in relation to the use of public resources and the execution of constituency projects.
