The Court of Appeal  sitting in Lagos on Friday acquitted a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency (NIMASA), Partrick Akpobolokemi of a ₦2.6 billion fraud charge.

While delivering the judgment reached by a panel of three judges,  Justice Yargatta Nimpar said the court upheld the no-case submission filed by Akpobolokemi, after it was dismissed by a high court in October 2017.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in October 2015 arraigned Akpobolokemi and five others on a 22-count charge for allegedly diverting the sum of ₦2.6 Million from NIMASA’s coffers between December 2013 and May 2015.

Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan and two companies – Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistics Limited were the other  defendants.

The anti-graft agency had alleged that the said funds were approved by then president, Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project and that the disbursements were sanctioned by Akpobolokemi.

Following the appeal by the defendants, Justice Nimpar discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi of all the 22-count charges while the other four accused were not discharged as the court held that they had a case to answer.