Court adjourns Ex-Lagos speaker charged with money laundering trial to July 18

<h2></h2>, <h2>A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, July 17 adjourned until July 18 for continuation of trial of a former Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji charged with money laundering.</h2>, <p>The case was initially fixed for continuation of trial on Monday, but couldn't go on due to the absence of the prosecutor.</p>, <span>Court adjourns Ex-Lagos speaker charged with money laundering trial to July 18</span>, <p>The case which was initially fixed for continuation of trial on Monday by noon, could not go on following the absence of the prosecutor, Mr Ekene Iheanacho. The prosecutor was said to be away for another case at the appeal court.</p>, <p>Meanwhile, the defendants and their counsel were present in court. The judge eventually called counsel present into chambers. It was gathered by newsmen in court that the case will now continue on July 18.</p>, <p>Ikuforiji is charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi. They are being tried before Justice Mohammed Liman, on 54 counts charge bordering on the offence.</p>, <p>They had each pleaded not guilty and were allowed to continue on an earlier bail granted to them in 2012 when they were first arraigned.</p>, <p>On March 17, 2021, the EFCC closed its case after calling the second witness for the prosecution, Mr Adewale Olatunji, a former Clerk of the Lagos House of Assembly. Prosecution called a total of two witnesses in support of its case.</p>, <p>On May 4, defence counsel Mr Dele Adesina SAN, had opened the case of the defence and had began calling witnesses. Defence has called three witnesses so far, including the first defendant (Ikuforiji). Among others, Ikuforiji had testified how he was being prosecuted on a faceless petition.</p>, <p>He had told the court that the instant case arose from a petition written by an unknown person, alleging that he had stolen about ₦7 billion from the Lagos House of Assembly.</p>, <p>The court had however, adjourned the ca