Abuja High Court Orders forfeiture of N8.8bn worth properties to FG

Abuja high court has granted an order of temporary forfeiture of 29 assets in different locations of the federal capital of Nigeria worth over N8.8billion to the Federal government.

PostNaija had learned that The Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission (ICPC) applied for the interim forfeiture of the properties through an ex-parte motion.

Meanwhile, 27 respondents were registered on the motion including Shehu Yaradua Foundation, while others are companies. The anti-craft agency counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, stated that the twenty-seven respondents had vehemently denied ownership of the properties, in order to evade tax charges on them.

“The immovable properties have been confirmed available by a preliminary investigation conducted by the applicant,” Akponimisingha said.

More so, he revealed that the properties were alleged to have been acquired with proceeds accrued from crimes. Akponimisingha also said the respondents may likely sell off the assets to unsuspecting members of the public if the court does not order the provisional forfeiture.

On the other hand, an affidavit earlier attached to the motion by one Iliya Markus, who is an official of ICPC, to the court was told that the anti-craft agency received a petition from the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC) about unclaimed assets allegedly acquired in the names of the respondents.

He also stated that the petition had contained an initial 31 fixed properties but upon publication of the advertisement on two national newspapers regarding the assets, only two companies came forward to claim two of the properties.

Consequently the presiding judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf said the court was pleased with the argument of the ICPC counsel. “An interim forfeiture order is hereby made,” Baba-Yusuf ruled.

In conclusion, the judge afterward fixed September 23 as the return date.