The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Wednesday granted an order of interim forfeiture of 14 properties linked to the Kogi State government in Lagos, Abuja, and Dubai in United Arab Emirates.
The order was granted by Justice Nicholas Oweibo following an ex parte application filed and argued by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.
In his argument before the court, Oyedepo informed the judge that the properties, including the one in the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, were reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity.
Justice Oweibo also authorised the EFCC to confiscate the sum of N400million also linked to the state and recovered from one Aminu Falala.
Oyedepo further told the court that the N400m was reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity “and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.”
The judge also directed the EFCC to publish the order within 14 days for any interested party to show cause why the forfeiture order should not be made permanent.