By David Agba
Abuja
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday, temporarily forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi where the sum of $43.4 million and N23,218,000 were recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently.
The EFCC had earlier named Mrs. Folashade Oke, wife of the dismissed
Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Ayodele Oke, as owner of the property.
The order of the court was sequel to an ex-parte application filed and argued before the court by the EFCC legal officer and Mr Rotimi Oyedepo.
In an affidavit sworn to by EFCC investigator, Musa Yusuf, and filed before the court by Oyedepo, the deponent averred that the forfeiture was based on intelligent report received by the commission that huge sums of money in foreign and local currencies, being unlawful property was surreptitiously kept in flat 7B 16 Osborne road Ikoyi.
On the 12th of April, 2017, executed search warrant and recovering of the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800, N23, 218,000 was registered with the commission’s exhibits keeper.
Thereafter, EFCC sought and obtained order of the court for an interim forfeiture.
The following documents were also recovered: A document titled Lagos Government Form 1c which bears Chobe Ventures Limited on the guarantee.
Similarly, four invoices for purchase of items from different companies bear the name of one Bunmi Olomo of 18a, modele road Surulere Lagos. With Telephone number 08033805749.
Also recovered were waybills and proforma invoice issued by Lethal World to Chobe ventures.
The commission wrote a letter to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for the particulars of the Directors of Chobe ventures Limited and got a response, that the Directors of Chobe ventures are; Mrs Ayodele
Folashade Oke and Mr Ayodele Oke junior and that Folashade Oke is the
wife of the dismissed Director General of National IntelligenceAgency (NIA).
However, in his ruling, the presiding judge, Saliu Seidu, ordered that the property should be temporarily forfeited to the federal government
of Nigeria.
The presiding judge also directed that the order should be published in a national daily newspaper for any interested person to come forward within 14 days of the publication to show cause while the property should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.
Thereafter, justice Seidu adjourned till 30th of November, 2017.
