The trial of a Kogi State House of Assembly candidate on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ismaila Atumeyi, over alleged Internet fraud and money laundering could not continue Tuesday owing to the absence of the lead defence counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, from court.

Atumeyi is standing trial alongside two others; Ngene Dominic and Abdulmalik Salau (a former employee of the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc) before Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Kogi NNPP assembly candidate and the two others ars being tried on 18 counts bordering on alleged cybercrime and money laundering to the tune of N1.4 billion.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed this Tuesday afternoon in a statement posted to its official Twitter page.

The anti-graft agency wrote, “The trial of Ismaila Yousouf Atumeyi, a Kogi State House of Assembly candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and two others before Justice Tijani G. Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos could not continue on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, due to the absence of the lead defence counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, in court.

“Atumeyi is standing trial alongside Ngene Joshua Dominic and Abdulmalik Salau, a former employee of Union Bank Plc, on an 18-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime and money laundering to the tune of N1.4bn.”l