A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the
interim forfeiture of houses and cars linked to convicted cybercriminal
Obinwanne George Okeke also known as Invictus Obi.
Justice Peter Lifu made the order on October 29, 2021,
sequel to an ex parte motion filed and argued by Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) counsel, Chineye Okezie.
Invictus Obi is serving a 10-year prison sentence in America
for his involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme amounting to $11
million.
The houses are situated at 4 Oakville Estate, Kado Kuchi,
Abuja, and Standard Estate, Kabusa, Abuja.
The vehicles are a Toyota Corolla with Registration Number:
RBC6238N and an unregistered Toyota Corolla Sport.
According to the EFCC, the properties will be used to
restitute foreign victims of Invictus Obi’s fraud through the United States of
America Consulate.
Justice Lifu held: “I have listened to the submission of the
counsel to the applicant vis-a-vis affidavit filed in support. I hold in my
considered view that this application is meritorious and ought to be granted.
“Consequently this application is hereby granted as prayed.”
The judge also ordered that the Commission should publish
the order in a widely read newspaper in Nigeria within 14 days for any
interested party to show cause why the order should not be permanently made.
He adjourned till November 30 to make a final decision on
the forfeiture motion.
The EFCC supported its application with an affidavit sworn
by one of its investigators, Usman Abdulhamid.
Abdulhamid noted that Invictus Obi had already fordeited
N280,555,010, N240,250,904.46 and N40,304,106.19 to the Federal Government.
He asses: “On further investigation by the Commission, two
more properties were traced belonging to the convict, along with two vehicles
parked in the residence.
“This application is pertinent in order to restitute the
victims of the fraud through the United States of America Consulate.
“This matter is of very urgent public interest and concern
as it directly tarnishes the image of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
Nigeria among the comity of nations.
“The properties sought to be forfeited to the Federal
Government of Nigeria by the Applicant were not procured through legitimate
earnings of the Respondent but are reasonably suspected to be part of the
fraudulent activities which the Respondent has been convicted for.”
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