Former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, has been declared not guilty and acquitted of the N2 billion fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja discharged and acquitted Oronsaye, stating that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support a conviction.
Oronsaye had been arraigned in 2015 alongside Osarenkhoe Afe, the Managing Director of Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited, on corruption allegations.
The two were accused of involvement in a fraudulent biometrics enrollment scheme utilizing two companies, Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited and Xangee Technologies Limited, as part of the N2 billion fraud.
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Throughout the trial, the EFCC called upon 21 witnesses to testify against Oronsaye, but the court deemed their evidence lacking in credibility.
Justice Ekwo determined that the prosecution’s case did not meet the burden of proof required for a conviction, leading to the acquittal of Oronsaye.
The discharge and acquittal of Stephen Oronsaye, a former Head of Service of the Federation, marks a significant development in this high-profile corruption case.
With the court’s ruling, Oronsaye is now cleared of the charges and can move forward from this legal ordeal.
