•As court acquits him on money laundering charges, orders EFCC to return seized funds
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, July 24, 2025, discharged and acquitted the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr Femi Thomas, on five out of six counts in a $2.1 million money laundering case.
While Dr Thomas was convicted on a single charge related to a cash transaction exceeding legal limits, the court ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to return all funds previously seized from him.
Justice Ayokunle Faji, delivering the judgment, ruled that the anti-graft agency failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt allegations of conspiracy, unlawful enrichment, and making false statements contained in counts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 of the amended charge.
However, Dr Thomas was found guilty on count five, which pertained to a cash transaction exceeding the N5 million threshold permitted for individual cash dealings.
Justice Faji emphasised that the EFCC had not adequately investigated the defendant's claims during the trial and failed to establish that the funds in question were proceeds of criminal activity.
“The transaction in count five is only above the N5 million threshold. There is no proof it was from the proceeds of crime,” the judge declared.
Consequently, the court mandated the EFCC to refund all funds previously confiscated from Dr Thomas within 14 days, asserting that the agency had no legal basis to retain the money.
This release, however, is contingent upon Dr. Thomas paying a N10 million fine imposed for the single conviction.
He has been barred from travelling outside the country until the fine is fully paid, with a seven-day window from the judgment date to make the payment.
The court also found the second defendant, Mr Kabiru Sidi, guilty on his sole count (count six) for making a false statement during an EFCC interview, where he falsely claimed ownership of the disputed money.
Mr Sidi was sentenced to pay a N1 million fine. In his sentencing remarks, Justice Faji acknowledged the pleas for leniency (allocutus) presented by counsel for both defendants.
He noted Dr Thomas’s consistent court appearances, his clean criminal record, and his extensive contributions to public service, including his tenure as Commissioner for Health in Lagos and his leadership at the NHIS.
“I have listened to your allocutus and noted your service to the nation, including establishing the cardiology department at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), training many Nigerian cardiologists, and having no previous criminal record,” the judge stated, highlighting Dr Thomas's significant professional legacy.
Dr Thomas and Mr Sidi were initially arraigned before Justice Faji on June 28, 2017, facing an amended seven-count charge bordering on money laundering involving the sum of $2,198,900.
The EFCC had accused Dr Thomas, alongside his wife, Mrs Femi Thomas (who remains at large), of procuring one Bamidele Ibitoye to move the said sum from Lagos, alleging it to be proceeds of unlawful enrichment during his time as a public officer.
One of the charges had stated: "That you, Dr Martins Oluwafemi Thomas, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, and Mrs Femi Thomas (still at large), on or about July 3, 2015, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, procured Bamidele Ibitoye to remove from Lagos the sum of $2,198,900, being proceeds of your unlawful enrichment as a public officer, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 15(2)(c) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).”
Mr Sidi, on the other hand, was specifically charged with making a false statement during an EFCC investigation by claiming ownership of the cash.
During the allocutus, Dr Thomas’s counsel, Mr Collins Ogbonna, appealed for leniency, citing his client’s retirement, ongoing parental responsibilities, and his significant contributions to Nigeria’s healthcare system, describing him as a first-time offender.
Similarly, Mr O. Ajanaku, counsel for Mr Sidi, sought mercy on compassionate grounds, highlighting his client’s serious medical conditions.
All rights reserved. The content on this website, including text and other digital materials, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of The News Accelerator Network.
For advertising inquiries, news coverage, or press releases, please get in touch with us at
📧 thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail
.com
📞 0805 101 7159, 0814 404 8512.
Post a Comment