Breaking: Court orders forfeiture of Saraki’s houses in Lagos to FG

By Bimbo Ogunnaike

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture of two properties located in Ikoyi area of Lagos State belonging to the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the Federal Government.

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Mohammed Liman, ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties.

Liman also instructed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) should publish the order in a national newspaper within fourteen days, for anyone with interest in the properties to show cause, why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

The anti-graft spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

Wilson said part of the reliefs sought by EFCC included ” An order of this honourable Court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria landed property with appurtenances situate, lying and known as No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State found and recovered from the respondent which property is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.

“The Commission in supporting affidavits, alleged that the former Senate President acquired the two properties with proceeds of unlawful activity; that while serving as governor of Kwara State, he withdrew over twelve billion cash from the account of the Kwara Government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his personal assistant, Abdul Adama, at different intervals.”

It would be recalled that Ilorin Zonal Office of EFCC had in an ex parte application filed by the Commission’s Lawyer Nnaemeka Omewa approached the Court, seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the properties located at No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos, alleging that they were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.