The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order for the final forfeiture of assets valued at over ₦335 million, including a hospital and five filling stations, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Naijaonpoint reports that Justice Emeka Nwite issued the ruling on Tuesday, following a motion filed and moved by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel, Fadila Yusuf.
Moving the application, Yusuf urged the court to make the interim forfeiture order permanent, having complied with the court’s earlier directives requiring publication and public notice of the properties.
“We pray the court to grant the final order, forfeiting the property in Schedules I and II to the Federal Government, as the commission has complied with all the directives of the court,” she said.
Justice Nwite, after reviewing the supporting affidavits and legal submissions, declared that the EFCC’s application was meritorious.
“I have listened to the submission of the applicant’s counsel and reviewed the affidavits in support of the motion. I am of the view that this application is meritorious. Consequently, the application is granted as prayed,” the judge ruled.
No One Came Forward to Claim the Properties
Naijaonpoint understands that the anti-graft agency had earlier filed a motion on notice, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1058/2024, under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006.
In an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC official, Tahiru Ahmed, the commission disclosed that the court had granted an interim forfeiture order on August 13, 2024, covering the assets listed in Schedules I and II of the application.
The court also directed the EFCC to publicise the forfeiture order in a national newspaper and on its website, inviting any interested parties to come forward and show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
“The said orders of the court were complied with, and the publication was made in Punch Newspaper on September 4, 2024,” the EFCC stated.
Assets Forfeited Include Hospital, Fuel Stations
While details of the exact locations of the properties were not listed in open court, the EFCC confirmed that the forfeited assets include:
- ₦335 million in cash
- A privately owned hospital
- Five petrol filling stations
- Other assets covered under the forfeiture schedule
According to the affidavit, no individual or organisation responded to the publication or laid claim to the properties.
“It would be in the interest of justice to grant the final forfeiture application, as no person will be prejudiced in any way,” Ahmed added.
Following the ruling, officials of the EFCC described the court’s decision as a victory for the rule of law and accountability. The agency maintained that the forfeited assets would be transferred to the Federal Government to support public sector projects and national development.