Court Rules EFCC Established Prima Facie Case Against Mompha

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has ruled that a prima facie case has been successfully established against social media personality, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, and his co-defendant, who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud.

Delivering the ruling in Lagos, Justice Dada held that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to warrant the defendants entering their defence. According to the judge, the testimonies and documents tendered by the EFCC during the trial sufficiently linked the defendants to the alleged offences.

Mompha and his co-defendant are facing multiple charges bordering on alleged money laundering and conspiracy to defraud. The EFCC had accused them of engaging in fraudulent transactions involving large sums of money, part of which were allegedly laundered through foreign and local accounts.

The ruling means that the court found “a case to answer” against the defendants, contrary to the arguments of their defence counsel, who had earlier filed a no-case submission, urging the court to dismiss the charges for lack of evidence. Justice Dada, however, disagreed, stating that the evidence before the court was sufficient to proceed to the defence stage.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to January 27 and 28, 2026, for the defendants to open their defence.

The EFCC has been prosecuting Mompha in several cases involving alleged internet fraud and money laundering, with this particular case being one of the ongoing criminal proceedings against him in Lagos.