Court orders forfeiture of Saraki's Ikoyi property
The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Monday has ordered the temporary forfeiture of two properties located in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State and belonging to the immediate past senate president, Bukola Saraki, to the Federal Government.
Mohammed Liman, the judge, who ordered the temporary forfeiture on Monday, also gave 14 days for anyone with an interest in the properties to show cause.
According to a statement by the anti-corruption agency, EFCC, the properties are located at No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos.
The EFCC said the forfeiture followed an ex parte application filed by its counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, that the properties were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
The Commission also alleged in a supporting affidavit that Mr Saraki, who served two terms as Kwara State Governor between 2003 and 2011, “withdrew over N12 billion 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, Mr Omewa, said the court was empowered to order the temporary forfeiture of the landed asset to the Federal Government.
Delivering ruling on the application, Justice Liman ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties.
He also instructed that the EFCC should publish the order in a national newspaper.
After ordering the temporary forfeiture of the properties, the judge gave 14 days for anyone with an interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
The EFCC had in May marked the houses traced to the former Senate president for an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money-laundering.
The agency’s probe of Mr Saraki, however, started when it wrote the Kwara State Government demanding a breakdown of Mr Saraki’s income, as well as his entitlements as governor of the state.
The houses had been the subject of Mr Saraki’s arraignment at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), which acquitted him in 2017.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Hauwa Nuru Maryam Nurudeen Bayo Ojo Wahab Kunle Shittu Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations Olushola Saraki Laboratory-to-Product Falokun-Oja Shehu Raheem Adaramaja Ibrahim Gambari Okin Biscuit Rotimi Atere Nigerian Medical Association Sulyman Atolagbe Alege Funmilayo Zubair Danladi Atiku Abubakar Abdulrazaq Adebayo Saka Asiat Ayinke Yekeen Alabi Ganmo Electricity Sub-Station Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP) Ahmad Belgore Hikmah AbdulKareem Peculiar Allowance Ope Saraki Yusuf Abdulraheem Senate Presidency Odo-Owa John Obuh Yashikira Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Tafida Kale Ayo Col. Adedipe Bolaji Abdullahi Government High School (GHS), Adeta Kwara State University Of Education Ilorin Airport Garba Ayodele Wahab Fatai Olodo Ubandoma Gwanara Jumoke Gafar Gbenga Awoyale Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen Offa Grammer School Mohammed Halidu Oyawoye KWATMA Olaiya Zuberu Elesie Of Esie Yakubu Danladi Olaoye B. Felix Babs Iwarere Elerinjare-Ibobo Saadu Gbogbo Iwe Tunde Saad Mamatu Abdullahi Facemasks Abdulrazaq Solihudeen Musbau A. Akanji Alfa Modibo Belgore Abegunde Goke Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege Sunday Popo-Ola Sulyman Abdulkareem Village Alive Development Association Ejidongari David Oyepinola Adedumoye Oniyangi Kunle Sulaiman Sobi Hill Apado Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations Mashood Dauda Fatima Abolore Jimoh Kawu