The Appeal Court frees Ex-Nimasa with Akpobololmi from N754.8M Allegations of Fraud

The appeal court, Lagos, on Friday issued and released the former Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and the Safety Agency (Nimasa), Patrick Akpobololmi, from the accusation of the N754.8 million fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) charged Akpobolokemi and other Nimasa officials with various corruption accusations in 2016.

The Commission accused that the former Head of Nimasa was involved in an illegal withdrawal and transfer from the account of the International Maritime Organization State Audit (Vimsas) Audit Committee.

He challenged the indictment and asked the court to fire them because of lack of evidence.

Judge Raliat Adeniyi from the Lagos High Court, Ikeja. Dismissed the submission without the Akpobolomi case and asked him to enter his defense of the accusation.

He argues that the Prima Facie case has been determined against the former Nimasa boss by the commission.

Not satisfied with the verdict, the Akpobolokemi legal team led by Collins Ogbonna and Kunle Gbolahan, approached the appeal court to put it aside.

In a Friday decision submitted through Zoom, the panel of three members of the Court of Appeals put aside the lower court decisions and issued it on the accusation.

The panel stated that the prosecution failed to build a relationship between Akpobololmi and alleged crime.