Money Laundering: Court Orders Final Forfeiture of N354, 000

In its determined bid to ensure that perpetrators of financial crimes are brought to book, Nigeria’s anti corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, through its Kaduna Zonal Office has recorded another victory at the courts following the order of forfeiture by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The successes of the Kaduna Zonal Office in the past few years has seen victory coming the way of the agency under Bappa Ibrahim whose consistency, doggedness and diligence has brought about a new lease in the professionalism displayed by the operatives under his supervision.

It would be recalled that in 2017, a huge amount of money was recovered by operatives of the agency at the Kaduna International Airport which made newspaper headlines across the country.

A statement signed by Tony Orilade, Acting Head of the media and Publicity of the agency has disclosed that, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of N354, 000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand Naira) only which was uncovered by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during investigations into the N49 million intercepted at the Kaduna International Airport on March 13, 2017.

According to the statement, Oyebanji Steve, Taiye Omoniyi Oluwaleke, Risikat Taimiyu Titilayo, Fausat Oni, and Joshua Kisabo had laid claim to the N49 million and challenged the confiscation of the money by the EFCC.

“During further investigation, one of the claimants led a team of operatives to Deidei, a suburb in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where in the process of executing a search, some thugs had attacked operatives; but the attack was repelled by police officers on the team”, the statement further revealed.

“Subsequently, a bag containing the N354,000 was uncovered, abandoned by some persons suspected to be engaging in unlawful selling of new naira notes. The money was made up of N200 and N50 notes (mint) abandoned at the scene, which was confiscated and taken to the Kaduna office of the EFCC”.

Orilade further said; “Since the seizure, nobody has come to claim the money. Hence, it was suspected to be proceeds of crime”.

“On March 13, 2018, Justice Dimgba granted an interim forfeiture order of the said amount following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC”.

“Consequently, the EFCC moved a motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the money, having published the interim forfeiture order in the national newspapers, as ordered by the Court”.

“In his ruling on January 21, 2019, Justice Dimgba granted the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government”, the statement concluded.