Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has ordered the final forfeiture of an estate in Abuja measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 Units of duplexes and other apartments.
The Estate is located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
This is the single largest asset recovery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), since its inception in 2003.
The forfeiture of the property to the federal government by a former top brass of the government was prsuant to EFCC’s mandate and policy directive of ensuring that the corrupt and fraudulent do not enjoy the proceeds of their unlawful activities.
In this instance, the Commission relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14, 2006 and Section 44 (2) B of the Constitution of the 199 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to push its case.
Ruling on the Commission’s application for the final forfeiture of the property on Monday in Abuja, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent have not shown cause as to why he should not lose the property, “which has been reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, the property is hereby finally forfeited to the federal government.”
The anti-graft agency in a statement issued Monday said the road to the final forfeiture of the property was paved by an interim forfeiture order, secured before the same Judge on November 1, 2024.
It added that the government official which fraudulently built the estate was being investigated by the EFCC.
It noted that the forfeiture of the asset is an important modality of depriving the suspect of the proceeds of the crime.