Dauda Lawal, presently the Governor of Zamfara State
On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a directive instructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release the ₦9 billion it had seized from former First Bank Executive Director, Dauda Lawal.
In a unanimous judgment led by Justice Muhammad Lawal Garba, the five-man panel dismissed EFCC’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision, which included an order for the return of the ₦9,080,000,000.00 to Dauda Lawal. The Court of Appeal’s judgment, dated March 25, 2020, in Appeal No CA/LAG/CV/480/2019 DAUDA LAWAL V. EFCC & ANOR, had set aside the Federal High Court’s decision on February 16, 2017.
The Supreme Court, in its decision on Appeal No: SC.212/2020, EFCC v. DAUDA LAWAL, affirmed and upheld the Court of Appeal’s ruling, ordering the rescission of the final forfeiture order and the immediate return of the ₦9,080,000,000.00 to Mr. Lawal.
This marks the conclusion of the EFCC’s case against Mr. Lawal, which commenced in May 2016 with accusations of money laundering and obtaining funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. On October 7, 2020, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, acquitted Mr. Lawal of all charges brought by the EFCC.