TEMPORARY FORFEITURE OF 14 ASSETS, N400M ASSOCIATED WITH KOGI STATE GOVERNMENT ORDERED BY COURT

February 22, 2023

Read Time:1 Minute, 9 Second

By Adeniyi Onaara

On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Judge Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, approved an interim forfeiture of 14 properties associated to the Kogi State Government in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Judge also ordered the preservation of N400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira) recovered from one Aminu Falala, which “is reasonably suspected of having been derived from unlawful activity and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island Lagos.”

Following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Lagos Zonal Command, Judge Oweibo issued the order.

The application was backed up by an affidavit signed by Adekunbi Mojibola, an EFCC investigation officer.

The EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, filed the application today, claiming that the properties, including “Hotel Apartment Community, Burj Khalifa lying being and situate at, Plot 160 Municipality NO 345-7562, Sky View Building No 1, Property No 401, Floor 4, Dubai U.A.E.”, were reasonably suspected to be derived from unlawful activity.

Judge Oweibo approved the application as sought and directed the Commission to publish the interim order within 14 days or any interested party to show cause why the forfeiture order should not be made in favor of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The lawsuit was postponed until March 28, 2023.