A federal high court sitting in
Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture of two properties of Bukola Saraki,
former senate president, in the Ikoyi area of
Lagos state.
Nnaemeka Omewa, a counsel of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), had approached the court,
seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the properties located at 17A
McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa local government area of Lagos.
He had told the court that they
were acquired through “proceeds of unlawful activities”.
Part of the reliefs sought by the
EFCC included “An order of this honourable Court forfeiting to the Federal
Government of Nigeria landed property with appurtenances situate, lying and
known as No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos
State found and recovered from the respondent which property is reasonably suspected
to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity”.
The commission alleged that while
serving as governor of Kwara state, Saraki withdrew over N12 billion cash from
the account of the Kwara government and paid same into his accounts domiciled
in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his personal assistant, Abdul Adama.
Delivering ruling on the
application, Mohammed Liman, the presiding judge, ordered interim forfeiture of
the two properties.
He also instructed that the EFCC
should publish the order in a national newspaper within 14 days, for anyone
with interest in the properties to show cause, why they should not be finally
forfeited to the federal government.
The federal government had
arraigned Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) while he was the
nation’s number three citizen.
He was accused of failing to
declare his assets, an allegation he denied, alleging that he was being
witch-hunted.
The supreme court subsequently
dismissed the false assets declaration trial.
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