The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of Obinwanne Okeke, alias Invictus Obi’s N280,555,010 to the Federal Government.
The judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa ordered the forfeiture sequel to a motion filed and argued by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo on Thursday.
According to The Nations, the judge had on October 9 granted an interim forfeiture of the funds and ordered EFCC to publish the interim order to enable any interested parties to show cause why the final order should not be made.
At the resumed hearing, Oyedepo informed the court that all requirements for final forfeiture had been met. He, therefore, requested that the court should grant the application for final forfeiture because there was no opposition to the request from anybody.
More details: Having listened to Oyedepo’s appeal, Justice Aikawa ordered that the sum of N280.5 million in two Zenith Bank accounts Nos 3341692012 and 1013714256 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
[READ MORE: FBI: Obinwanne Okeke risks $11 million, Diamond ring forfeiture]
“I have seen the application seeking for the final forfeiture of the sum of N280.5 million where housed in the two bank accounts which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
“I am satisfied that the requirements enumerated under Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act have been met by the applicant in this suit. Consequently, this application is hereby granted as prayed as it remains unchallenged.
“The sum of N280.5 million found in the bank account of Invictus Investment Limited, who is the second respondent in this suit, is hereby forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Aikawa said.
What you should know: Okeke was in 2016 celebrated by Forbes International as one of Africa’s most outstanding 30 entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and described by the magazine as “proof that there is hope for Africa.”
But he was arrested in August this year by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the ringleader of a cybercrime syndicate which had defrauded a number of American citizens to the tune of $11 million through fraudulent wire transfer instructions in a massive coordinated business email compromise scheme.