A Federal High Court sitting in
Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds and properties
traced to Abidemi Rufai, the suspended aide of Ogun State Governor, Dapo
Abiodun, who is facing wire fraud charges in the United States of America.
The court order, which was
granted on Tuesday, covers Rufai’s property located at House 11, Omodayo
Awotuga Street, Bera Estate, Chevy View, Lekki, Lagos; and funds in his
accounts domiciled in Sterling and Zenith banks.
Justice Tijjani Ringim made the
order sequel to an ex parte motion filed and argued by a counsel to the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ebuka Okongwu.
The EFCC joined Rufai, his firm Omo Mayodele Global Investment; and Sterling Bank PLC as the first, second and third respondents in the suit.
Okongwu told the judge that it
was essential for the court to grant the prayer of interim forfeiture to
preserve the res and prevent further dissipation of the defendant’s funds in
his Sterling Bank account.
He then furnished the judge with
an affidavit sworn to by an EFCC investigator, Usman Abdulhamid, detailing the
agency’s investigation of Rufai in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
“Rufai had already dissipated a
suspicious N29.37m in tranches of N5m, N5m, N2.7m, N1.1m, N2m, N2m, N2m, and
N5m. The funds were warehoused in his accounts in three banks,” Abdulhamid
said.
Rufai was arrested by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on May 14
over alleged $350,000 COVID-19 unemployment fraud from the Washington State
Employment Security Department, in the United States.
He was indicted for alleged
conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Justice Ringim, in a bench
ruling, granted the EFCC’s order as prayed in the motion paper.
“I am satisfied by the averment
in the affidavit deposed to by Usman Abdulhamid and the legal submission of the
counsel that this application should succeed and the same is accordingly
granted as prayed,” the judge held.
The judge also ordered the EFCC
to publish the order within 14 days from Tuesday for any interested party to
show cause why the funds and properties should not be permanently forfeited to
the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Ringim adjourned further
proceedings till December 1, 2021.
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