Two Men Face Court Over £110,000 Theft and Money Laundering in Lagos

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought two men to court for allegedly stealing and laundering £110,000. The men, Ali Bala, also known as Barrister Ahmed, and Yusuf Umar Anka, appeared before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.

The EFCC reported that the defendants face ten charges related to stealing, money laundering, and keeping stolen property. One charge claims that last year, the two men conducted financial transactions to hide the source of the stolen £110,000. Another charge states that they converted N500 million, which belonged to Salihu Muhammed, for their personal use between July and August of last year.

The charges are said to violate specific sections of the Criminal Law of Lagos State from 2011. Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read in court.

Following their pleas, the lead prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, requested that the court set a trial date and keep the defendants in a correctional facility. Lawyers for Bala and Anka expressed their clients’ interest in negotiating a plea deal while awaiting their bail hearings.

Justice Fadipe has scheduled the next court session for December 16 of this year to hear the trial and bail applications. The judge ordered that the defendants remain in custody until then.