An Abuja division of the federal high court has ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N500 million connected to Ahmed Dandija, a former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government (SSG).
Justice Zainab Abubakar granted the application for final forfeiture made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday.
She made the order after the EFCC had brought enough evidence before the court to prove that the N500 million was proceeds of illicit activities.
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Backstory
In an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, the agency sought the forfeiture of the money following the recovery of the funds from an apartment at Sigma Apartment, 1 Embu Street, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja,
The EFCC claimed the funds were suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities.
EFCC’s counsel told the court that the Commission had received intelligence bordering on money laundering stashed at the Sigma apartments in Abuja.
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He said during investigations, they found out that Mr Dandija had secured the apartment to store his valuables.
However, one Abdallah Suleiman came forth to claim the said money. He claims he engages in chartering of aircraft through his company Montes Auri Ltd and the money was received on behalf of a company but EFCC’s investigations at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) failed to establish Mr Suleiman’s claim.
On December 4, 2019, Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo ordered the interim forfeiture of the money to the FG. She ordered EFCC to publish the order of interim forfeiture to enable any person interested in the funds to show cause why the money should not be forfeited to the FG.
The matter was later reassigned to Justice Zainab Abubakar following the transfer of Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo to another division.
In her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Abubakar held that EFCC has brought sufficient evidence before the court that the aforementioned money was proceeds of illegal activities.
She, therefore, ordered the final forfeiture of the said sum to the Federal Government as the law demands in the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011 as amended in 2012.
In case you missed it
Nairametrics had reported in November 2021, that the court reserved ruling on EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the said money.
