The Federal High Court, located in Ikoyi, Lagos, issued a ruling on Friday for the definitive forfeiture of a property believed to have been obtained through illegal means.
The vacation judge, Justice Deinde Dipeolu, decreed that the property situated at 26, Tolu Road, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, be surrendered to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Naijaonpoint reports that this decision followed a motion filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by attorney Hannatu Kofarnaisa.
In January 2025, the judge had previously mandated the interim forfeiture of the property and instructed that the order be published in a national newspaper, allowing any interested parties a chance to contest the forfeiture.
During the hearing for the final forfeiture on Friday, Kofarnaisa informed the court that no objections were raised within the 14-day period following the publication.
An affidavit from Gyal Maina Gapani, an EFCC operative, further supported the application. After considering the arguments presented by the EFCC’s counsel, Justice Dipeolu concluded that the applicant’s case was valid and ordered the permanent forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria, in favour of Sterling Bank Plc.
In the affidavit, Gapani noted that on July 18, 2022, the Commission received a petition from Sterling Bank PLC regarding the criminal conversion and theft of funds belonging to the bank, which involved unauthorised transfers of significant amounts of money.
It reads: “The petitioner alleged that the unauthorized transfer of funds was due to a system glitch in the bank wherein the total sum of ₦295.916,201.02 (Two Hundred and Ninety Five Million, Nine Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Two Hundred and One Naira Two Kobo) was stolen by some customers of the bank and same converted to their own personal use.
“That as of the time the said customers allegedly stole the said sum, they do not have a corresponding sum in their accounts.
“That the alleged sum was stolen via PayAttitude Global Limited, which is an e-bank wallet and a payment scheme of the Sterling Bank Plc.
“That the commission wrote a letter to Pay Attitude Global LTD and they responded vide a letter dated 17th March 2023 forwarding the payment transaction scheme of the said Ojora Sulaimon Kehinde.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that due to the system glitch, one of the suspects, by name Ojora Sulaimon Kehinde, criminally converted the total sum of ₦89,000,000 (Eighty Nine Million Naira) belonging to Sterling Bank PLC.
“That in a bid to launder and fraudulently conceal the said sum, he transferred a substantial part of the said sum to his wife, Aminat Olatanwa Ojora, vide her bank account number domiciled with Sterling Bank PLC.
“That as at the time the said Ojora Sulalmon Kehinde transferred the said monies to the account of Aminat Olatanwa Ojora, his wife, using the PayAttitude platform to be used for the purchase of the property now sought to be forfeited.
“That the said Ojora Suleimon Kehinde did not have the corresponding sum in his account as at the time he transferred the monies to his wife.
“That the said Ojora Sulaimon Kehinde procured his wife to transfer the sum of ₦17,000,000 (Seventeen Mlilion Naira) to one Chuksy Odozy Osazuwa account number domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc for the purchase of a property situate and located at No 26. Tolu Road, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, now sought to be forfeited”.
“That Ojora Sulaimon Kehinde procured his brother Muritala Sulaimon Kehinde to front for him in the purchase and execution of the deed of assignment for the purchase of the said property situate and located at No 26. Tolu Road, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, now sought to be forfeited.”