A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has struck out the N6 billion money laundering charges against socialite Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, ruling that the case amounted to forum shopping and an abuse of court process.
Justice Mojisola Dada delivered the decision on Tuesday after finding that a similar case was already pending before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, had faced an eight-count charge involving alleged conspiracy, money laundering, retention of proceeds of unlawful activities, failure to disclose assets and possession of documents containing false pretences.
The socialite was arraigned and remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was later granted bail of N200 million, later reduced to N25 million after he could not meet the original conditions.
In an Instagram post reacting to the judgment, Mompha described the outcome as the end of a seven-year battle against what he called victimisation, harassment and intimidation. He said the case disrupted his life after he returned to Nigeria in 2019 intending to invest in the economy, only to be confronted with what he termed trumped-up charges by the EFCC.
“A battle of victimisation, harassment and intimidation that started in 2019 has finally ended in victory,” he wrote. He noted that the court struck out the charges on 10 November 2026 after his legal team challenged the case, calling the EFCC’s action a complete witch-hunt and saying the judgment had vindicated him.
Mompha thanked his lawyers, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Kolawole Salami and Ademola Adefolaju—as well as his family, friends and supporters, saying he had always believed he would be cleared.
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