ABUJA: The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of Jimoh Yisawu, the former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), over alleged money laundering until July 20, 2026.
The case, scheduled to come before Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday, could not proceed because the judge was away on an official engagement.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Yisawu on allegations of laundering public funds during his tenure as managing director of the state-owned refinery.
According to court documents, the anti-graft agency accused the former refinery chief of diverting public funds and investing part of the proceeds in treasury bills for personal benefit.
The charges, filed under Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, contain eight counts, with Yisawu listed as the sole defendant.
The charge was dated and filed on June 22, 2026, by EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho.
The EFCC said the offences allegedly committed by the former Warri refinery boss contravene Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the same law.
The anti-corruption agency alleges that Yisawu unlawfully concealed and converted public funds through financial investments, an accusation that forms the basis of the criminal charges against him.
With Justice Ekwo unavailable to preside over proceedings, the court adjourned the arraignment to July 20, 2026, when Yisawu is expected to formally take his plea before the court.
No further proceedings took place during Friday’s sitting.
The development comes just two days after the EFCC arraigned Ahmed Dikko, the immediate past Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, on separate allegations of money laundering.
Dikko was arraigned before the same judge on a 12-count charge, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Justice Ekwo subsequently fixed October 12, 2026, for the commencement of his trial.
The prosecution of the two former refinery chief executives reflects the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute alleged financial misconduct within Nigeria’s public sector, particularly in government-owned enterprises.
The anti-graft agency has continued to intensify investigations into allegations of corruption, abuse of office and diversion of public funds as part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability in public institutions.
The case against Yisawu is expected to resume on July 20, when the Federal High Court will hear his arraignment and determine the next stage of the criminal proceedings.
