A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja yesterday, ordered a final forfeiture of about N284, 306, 294.04 linked to former Zamfara State governor, Abdul-Aziz Yari, to the Federal Government.
The money was allegedly reported to have been lodged with Zenith Bank Plc and Polaris Bank.
The presiding judge , Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who gave the final forfeiture order, said that Yari could not show how he made the huge sum of monies while or before serving as governor of the State (between May 29, 2011, and May 29, 2019).
Yari and two companies belonging to him (Kayatawa Nig. Ltd and B.T. Oil and Gas Nig. Ltd) were indicted for alleged fraud and were dragged to the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission, (ICPC).
The ICPC had accused the former governor of illicitly taking the money from the Zamfara State treasury to the detriment of his State.
Delivering her judgment, Ojukwu queried how one of Yaris companys bank accounts grew from zero to a humongous amount at the end of his tenure. According to her, Yari cannot claim that the monies were his own without showing evidence.
While dismissing the allegation that it was a political witch-hunt, she ordered that the entire sum be forfeited to the Federal Government.
