A Federal High Court in Abuja has agreed to hear a suit seeking to vacate an interim forfeiture order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against several properties in Abuja and Niger State. The properties are linked to an alleged N2.5 billion fraud case. Justice Musa Liam fixed the hearing for October 16 after the EFCC's lawyer, J.N Dongonyaro, requested time to respond to the application filed by the properties' owner, Abdullahi Saidu.
The EFCC had claimed that investigations showed the properties were purchased with fraudulently obtained funds. The commission's investigation followed a petition by Alhaji Adamu Ya'u, alleging that Saidu, in connivance with others, defrauded him in a diamond transaction. The EFCC alleged that Saidu and others told Ya'u they owned 30 parcels of diamond pallets, weighing about 50.210kg, and 22 parcels of rough diamonds, which they offered to sell to him.
According to the EFCC, Saidu and others demanded various sums from Ya'u for purported clearance and other reasons connected with the shipment. The EFCC stated that Saidu allegedly collected $773,000 in tranches purportedly to clear the consignment at a Nigerian port. The commission further alleged that Saidu collected $553,000 purportedly to pay Customs officers, while another associate, Adamu Abdullahi Yerima, allegedly collected $672,000 in batches purportedly for final clearance by the Department of State Services.
The EFCC said Ya'u claimed that the total sum collected from him by Saidu and others amounted to N2.5 billion. Investigations revealed that the diamonds were never supplied after the payments were made, and claims by Saidu and others were found to be untrue. The EFCC alleged that investigations established there was no diamond consignment for sale as represented by Saidu and others.
The properties affected by the forfeiture order include two units of four-bedroom semi-detached duplexes at Aliyu Villa, Brick City Phase 1, Kubwa, Abuja. Others are a three-bedroom terrace duplex at Tungan Yakubu, along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, and two landed properties designated as Plots C1 and C2. Also affected is Ngeil Supermarket Plaza, located at Sabon Wuse, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger.
Saidu is claiming that the said properties were not acquired with proceeds of illegal activities as claimed by the EFCC. In his application, he seeks the vacation of the interim forfeiture order. The court will determine whether the EFCC's interim forfeiture order was validly obtained and whether Saidu's properties should be forfeited to the government.
The case is scheduled for hearing on October 16, and the court will decide on the fate of the properties linked to the alleged N2.5 billion fraud. The EFCC's investigation and subsequent interim forfeiture order have significant implications for the parties involved and may set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 16 for a hearing in a suit challenging the EFCC's interim forfeiture order on several properties linked to an alleged N2.5 billion fraud.
- The EFCC alleged that the properties were purchased with fraudulently obtained funds from a diamond transaction involving Alhaji Adamu Ya'u.
- The properties affected by the forfeiture order include several duplexes and a supermarket plaza in Abuja and Niger State.
