Nigeria Court Order Forfeiture Of Saraki Ikoyi Property To Govt Over Fraud Allegation

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the forfeiture of two properties in Ikoyi belonging to ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in a judgment in a case brought before the court by Nigeria's anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Mohammed Liman made the temporary forfeiture order following an ex parte application by the EFCC.
The EFCC claimed the said landed property “lying and known as No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi,” was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.
It alleged in a supporting affidavit that Saraki, who served two terms as Kwara State Governor between 2003 and 2011, “withdrew over N12bn cash from the account of the Kwara State Government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his personal assistants, Abdul Adama, at different intervals.”
The EFCC lawyer, Nnaemeka Omewa, said the court was empowered to order the temporary forfeiture of the landed asset to the Federal Government.
Justice Liman agreed with him.
After ordering the temporary forfeiture of the property, the judge directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper.
He gave 14 days for Saraki or anyone interested in the property to appear before him to show cause why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, Saraki, who also was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 to 2011 says the EFCC misled the court to grant such order.
Speaking through Yusuph Olaniyonu, his media aide, Saraki said neither him nor his lawyers were aware of any application by the EFCC for any forfeiture order.
He said a federal high court in Abuja had earlier given an order restraining the EFCC from taking action on the property, as it is a subject matter where the anti-graft agency and the ministry of justice were parties.
“We are sure the FHC judge in Lagos was not aware of all these facts and has therefore been misled into giving the temporary forfeiture order. The affected property, House Number 17 A and 17B, was specifically listed in the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in which the EFCC was part of the prosecution and the case went up to the Supreme Court where the apex court in its July 6, 2018 judgment ruled in his favour,” he said in a statement.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that the source of funds for the purchase of the property was not illicit as claimed by the prosecution. On pages 12, 13 and 26 of the judgment of the highest court, this particular property on 17A McDonald Street, Ikoyi, was specifically referred to and the court upheld the no case submission of Dr. Saraki and therefore ruled in his favour.”