The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the final forfeiture of N732.85 million to the federal government after Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted its application seeking for the final forfeiture of the said sum.
The forfeited sum of N732.85 million was stolen from the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office by 17 respondents to the suit. EFCC spokesperson, Tony Orilade, who confirmed the story, said this includes a plot of land situated at Katsina road by Ogbomosho road, Kaduna North local government, worth N190million, all believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC was able to secure the final forfeiture, following the usage of non-conviction based forfeiture proceedings. Justice Tsoho had granted an interim forfeiture order on November 16, 2018, following the ex-parte application filed by the lawyer to the EFCC, Bar Abbah Mohammed.
The ex-parte motion was brought before the court, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006, and Section 44(2)(B)(K) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), seeking for an order of interim forfeiture of the said sum and property.
Granting the interim forfeiture of the said N732.85million, Justice Tsoho also ordered the EFCC to advertise the order in the newspapers for any interested party to show cause within 14 days on why the money should not be forfeited to the government.
Investigations by the EFCC had uncovered the various sums of N124,000,000; N320,000,000; N68,768,916; N1,900,000; N5,125,000; N3,000,000; N28,595,755; N6,137,000; N40,000,000; N46,800,000; N16,315,000; N2,547,800; N3,900,000; N8,234,650; N6,800,000; N2,651,000, and N1,970,750 traced to the respondents, respectively.
The judge consequently ordered that the monies and property should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
