A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has granted an order of interim forfeiture of 14 properties in Lagos, Abuja, United Arab Emirates, (UAE), linked to the Kogi State Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted the interim forfeiture order yesterday, following an ex parte motion by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, (SAN).
Justice Oweibo also authorised the EFCC to confiscate the sum of N400million recovered from one Aminu Falala in connection with the alleged fraud.
EFCC prosecutor, Oyedepo told the judge that the application followed the EFCC’s probe of “damning intelligence of monumental fraud allegedly perpetrated by some principal officers of Kogi State Government and their cronies.”
The senior lawyer alleged that through the fraud “huge sums of money belonging to the Kogi State Government were fraudulently converted and used to either outrightly acquire properties or renovate already existing but dilapidated buildings”.
He informed the judge that the properties were reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity.
Oyedepo further told the court that the N400m was reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity “and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.”
The judge directed the (EFCC) to publish the order in a national newspaper within 14 days for any interested party to show cause why the forfeiture order should not be made permanent.
He adjourned till March 28 for a report on compliance with the order.
