The Nigerian government isn’t backing down just yet in the high-profile money laundering case involving former NHIS boss, Olufemi Thomas.
Just days after a Federal High Court in Lagos acquitted Thomas of most of the money laundering charges against him, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed an appeal, challenging the ruling.
The anti-graft agency submitted a 28-page notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal in Lagos, listing 11 strong reasons why it believes Justice Olayinka Faji’s July 24, 2025 verdict should be overturned.
To recap, the High Court judge had discharged Thomas on five out of six charges, saying the EFCC “failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.” The judge even noted that EFCC admitted during the trial that it “did not investigate several of the claims made by the defendant.”
Although Thomas was convicted on one count — for making a cash payment above Nigeria’s ₦5 million legal limit — the court ordered that all funds previously seized from him be returned within 14 days, after paying a ₦10 million fine.
But the EFCC says that’s not justice.
In the appeal, EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), argued that the trial judge made legal errors and leaned on “imaginary doubts” rather than evidence.
According to the EFCC, the court already acknowledged that Thomas had a “significant, unexplained increase in wealth” during his time in public office — specifically, $2.2 million that couldn’t be traced to any legitimate source.
“By law, when a former public officer suddenly has that kind of money with no explanation, the burden shifts to him to prove it’s not from corruption,” Iheanacho stated.
He added that Thomas’ defense didn’t hold up: there were no tax records from the farm business he claimed as the money’s source, and no other income outside his public office was accounted for.
“He shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy the fruits of an illegality,” EFCC insisted.
The agency also faulted the court’s refusal to forfeit the seized funds to the Federal Government, despite the surrounding circumstances.
Now, the EFCC is asking the Court of Appeal to reverse parts of the ruling, and specifically, to forfeit the $2.2 million in question to the Nigerian government.
As this legal battle enters a new round, it puts a spotlight on the tension between weak prosecution strategies and the fight against corruption — and raises tough questions about how public officials account for their sudden wealth.
