Court Orders Forfeiture Of Saraki’s Houses In Kwara

By Bimbo Ogunnaike

The Federal High Court in Lagos chaired by Justice Rilwan Aikawa has ordered the temporary forfeiture of two houses in Ilorin, Kwara State belonging to to the immediate past Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The houses are located at plots 10 and 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the court it uncovered monumental fraud perpetrated in the treasury of the Kwara State Government between 2003 and 2011, when Saraki was the governor of the state.

It would be recalled that the Ilorin Zonal Office of the 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 at No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos.

According to the EFCC, the properties were gotten via proceeds of unlawful activities.

In a statement on Monday, the anti-graft agency said part of the reliefs sought by the 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.”

Justice Mohammed Liman in his ruling ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties.

This is as he told the EFCC to publish the order in a national daily in fourteen days, for anyone with interest in the properties to show cause, why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.