A Federal Capital Territory High Court has convicted former House of Representatives member, Hon. Onamusi Onadeko, in a landmark judgment that affirmed legislative aides and similar political appointees paid from public funds are public officers under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
According to an official statement signed by ICPC Head of Media and Public Communications, J. Okor Odey, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) secured the conviction after prosecuting Onadeko over his role in the award and execution of constituency projects valued at about ₦68.7 million.
The Commission said Onadeko, who represented Ogun East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, was arraigned in 2017 on an 11-count amended charge. He was accused of using his private companies, Stanton Engineering Limited and Haines and Baines Limited, to execute constituency projects while serving as Senior Legislative Aide to the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019.
ICPC told the court that the companies handled contracts involving the procurement of ambulance vehicles, supply of hospital equipment and drugs to primary healthcare centres, and construction of classrooms in selected schools across six communities in Ogun East Senatorial District. The Commission argued that the arrangement violated Sections 12 and 19 of the ICPC Act, which prohibit public officers from using their offices for personal benefit.
The anti-corruption agency also accused Onadeko of making inconsistent statements during investigations. It said he had declared in an affidavit sworn on June 30, 2016, that he was a director of Haines and Baines Limited but later denied being either a shareholder or director of the company in a statement made to investigators on May 5, 2017.
During the trial, the defence argued that Onadeko could not be prosecuted under the relevant provisions of the ICPC Act because his appointment as a legislative aide was temporary, non-pensionable and did not qualify him as a public officer.
However, delivering judgment on July 30, 2026, Justice Chizoba Oji rejected the argument, relying on the defendant’s letter of appointment and the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Federal Government of Nigeria v. Farouk Lawan. The court held that legislative aides are public officers and are therefore subject to the provisions of the ICPC Act.
Justice Oji found Onadeko guilty on Count 11 for making inconsistent statements but discharged and acquitted him on Counts 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Following allocutus by the defence, the court sentenced the former lawmaker to nine months’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦50,000 fine.
ICPC described the judgment as a significant legal precedent, noting that it establishes that Personal Assistants, Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants, Legislative Aides, Senior Legislative Aides and other similar appointees who receive salaries, allowances or other emoluments from public funds qualify as public officers under the ICPC Act, irrespective of whether their appointments are temporary, fixed-term or non-pensionable.
