The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court ordering the final forfeiture of ₦1.582 billion to the Federal Government from Steve Olusegun Ogidan, a former National Coordinating Consultant with the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
The unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, 20 June 2025, affirmed the decision of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, delivered on 22 January 2025. The funds were forfeited through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after investigations into allegations of criminal breach of trust, bribery, and money laundering.
Ogidan was investigated alongside former NIRSAL Managing Director, Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed. The EFCC alleged that Ogidan obtained the funds through bribes from consultants he was appointed to supervise, resulting in abandoned projects.
An interim forfeiture order was first granted on 5 February 2024. Both men appealed the final forfeiture, questioning whether the lower court had rightly applied Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang dismissed the appeals as lacking merit, ruling that the trial court acted within the law. He noted that Ogidan had voluntarily agreed to return the funds as part of an out-of-court settlement.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed the court’s decision.
