The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has adjourned the trial of Jimoh Yisawu, the former managing director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd, charged with money laundering, until January 18.
The case, scheduled for trial before Justice Inyang Ekwo, could not proceed on Monday due to pre-election matters before the court.
Besides, Mr Ekwo currently shares a courtroom with Justice Chigozie Onah of Court 15 as a result of ongoing renovation in some other courts.
The case was subsequently fixed for January 18, 19 and 20, 2027, for commencement of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Mr Yisawu on eight-count charges before Justice Ekwo, and he 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 Mr Iheanacho opposed the bail application, Justice Ekwo granted it, saying the alleged offences were bailable.
Mr Yisawu was admitted to N500 million bail with one surety in like sum.
The judge said the surety must be a responsible citizen who owns landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, and that the documents must be verified.
Justice Ekwo, who ordered Mr Yisawu to deposit his international passport with the court, held that the defendant must not travel outside the jurisdiction without the court’s permission.
The judge then adjourned the matter until October 25, 26 and 27 for the trial to commence.
The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Mr Yisawu on allegations bordering on money laundering offences from his time as MD of the refinery and a former public worker with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).
The EFCC, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, alleged that Mr 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 Mr Iheanacho, had Mr Yisawu as the sole defendant.
The offence, 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.
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 October 14 when the matter came up.
Justice Ekwo shifted the commencement of trial to November 24 and 25.
Mr 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 Mr Dikko and Masterpiece Projects Ltd as the first and second defendants.
In the charge dated and filed on June 22 by the commission’s counsel, Mr Iheanacho, the anti-graft agency accused Mr 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.
(NAN)