M.E. Sherriff & Co, a law firm contracted to trace and
recover some properties belonging to the federal government, has denied sale of
the assets.
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF),
had reportedly secretly granted a company and its attorneys a
multibillion-naira asset recovery contract.
The AGF was said to have given the firm, Gerry Ikputu &
Partners, an estate valuer, the task of recovering significant tracts of lands
and structures believed to belong to the federal government in 10 states and
the federal capital territory (FCT).
Meanwhile, Gerry Ikputu & Partners also hired a legal
firm, M.E. Sheriff & Co, to act as its agent.
A confidentiality agreement relating to the contract, is
said to prohibit the firm from disclosing the specifics of the job, while they
would also be entitled to three percent of the value of each successful
recovery.
Recently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) grilled Ladidi Mohammed, head of asset recovery and management unit,
ministry of justice, over allegations of fraudulent sale of recovered assets
worth billions.
She reportedly told EFCC that she acted under “verbal”
ministerial instructions in disposing of some assets, which were forfeited to
the federal government by persons undergoing corruption trials.
Speaking on Sunday at a media briefing, Mohammed Sheriff,
the principal partner of M.E. Sherriff & Co, said the recovered assets had
not been disposed off, and that his company had no dealings with the asset
recovery and management unit.
Sherriff said his firm was yet to be paid for its services
since none of the recovered assets has been sold, and that one of the affected
properties, located on Osborne road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was unlawful occupied by a
company after the expiration of its lease agreement.
He said according to Malami’s instruction, his firm
successfully secured an order of final forfeiture on the affected property,
which was granted by Inyang Ekwo, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja.
“We did not even know that there is an asset recovery
management unit. Our involvement was in relation to the tracing and recovery of
abandoned federal government properties that were being occupied illegally,
based on the presentation by some people, who approached our firm,” he said.
“We got the
instruction of the AGF to trace and recover those assets on the understanding
that we would be entitled to three percent of the proceeds of sale.
“On the 8th day of October, 2021, the federal government of
Nigeria granted the request of the firm of Jerry Ikputu & Partners to
trace, recover and submit the abandoned federal government properties in 11
states of federation.
“Further to the above, on the 16th November, 2021,
honourable justice I.E. Ekwo of the federal high court of Abuja granted the
reliefs of M.E. Sheriff of M.E. Sheriff & Co and forfeited temporarily,
assets to the federal government of Nigeria — all assets as listed on the instruction
letter referred above.
“The honourable justice I.E. Ekwo also ordered the federal
government to make a publication of the said temporary forfeiture inviting all
persons/bodies to, within 14 days of the order, show cause why order of final
forfeiture should not be made forfeiting the properties to the federal republic
of Nigeria.
“The federal government, by way of complying with the
court’s order, made a publication in The Punch newspaper of the 18th day of
November, 2021, specifically on page 34.
“The court, after giving members of the public opportunity
to express interest in any of the federal government [properties], and the fact
that no individual laid any claim, granted a final forfeiture in favour of the
federal government of Nigeria on the 31st January, 2022.”
Sheriff also challenged anyone who had proof of the claim
that its firm was involved in the sale of forfeited assets to “present a
petition to the office of the honourable attorney-general of the federation or
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission”.
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