Court Adjourns Alleged Money Laundering Case Against Iguodala to June 30


By Elvis Omoregie, Benin

A Federal High Court sitting in Benin City has adjourned until June 30, 2026, further proceedings in the alleged money laundering case instituted against Jessica Iguodala Oghomwen, following a request by the prosecution for additional time to strengthen its case.

The adjournment was granted after the prosecutor, P. Odion, made an oral application during Wednesday’s sitting, seeking more time to gather critical information in line with an earlier directive of the court.

The court had previously approved an order for substituted service on the defendant, which the prosecution said had been executed through publications in national dailies, including The Nigerian Observer and Vanguard, as well as by posting notices on the court’s official notice board.

Odion told the court that his application was grounded in Section 80, Part 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which empowers the court to order the attachment of a defendant’s property where there is reason to believe the individual is evading service or deliberately avoiding court proceedings.

He further cited Section 81 of the Act, noting that it provides for the attachment of both movable and immovable property belonging to such a defendant, as part of efforts to compel appearance.

However, counsel to the defendant, Dele Igbinedion, strongly opposed the application, accusing the prosecution of deliberately stalling the case through repeated adjournment requests.

Igbinedion argued that the matter had been pending since 2025 and questioned the prosecution’s failure to file the necessary motion to advance the court’s earlier order, despite having ample time to do so.

He urged the court to either compel the prosecution to withdraw the case or strike it out entirely, citing undue delay and lack of diligence in prosecution.

He relied on judicial precedent, including Dariye vs FRN, to argue that a party evading court processes is not entitled to seek the court’s indulgence until they submit to its jurisdiction.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice B. Quadri, adjourned the case to June 30, 2026, for further proceedings.

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