The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 8, 2025, for judgment in the trial of Emmanuella Eteta Ita, Head of the Stakeholders Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and her company, Surestart School Limited, over alleged N2 billion fraud.
Ita and her company are facing 25-count charges bordering on criminal misappropriation, diversion, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During Tuesday’s proceedings before Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo, the defence counsel, Paul Erokoro, SAN, adopted his final written address dated December 10, 2014, and urged the court to dismiss the prosecution’s case for lack of merit.
Erokoro argued that the prosecution failed to prove its allegations beyond reasonable doubt, insisting that his client should be discharged and acquitted.
“On receipt of the prosecution’s final address, the first defendant filed a reply dated June 13, 2025, which we adopt as our response to the issues raised. Once again, we urge Your Lordship to discharge and acquit the first defendant. We also request that the prosecution refunds the ₦19.5 million paid to the EFCC so she can repay the lenders,” Erokoro said.
In response, the prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that his final written address, dated and filed on January 10, 2025, had been duly adopted on June 16, 2025.
He urged the court to convict the defendants, maintaining that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“If my Lord finds that the defence’s reply on the point of law merely seeks to re-argue issues already canvassed in their main written address, we urge the court to strike out that request,” Iheanacho stated.
After listening to both parties, Justice Ogunbanjo adjourned the matter to December 8, 2025, for judgment.