On Monday, December 2, 2024, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the final forfeiture of a sprawling estate in the nation’s capital to the federal government.
The property, situated on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 in the Lokogoma District, measures 150,500 square metres and comprises 753 units including duplexes and other apartments.
The forfeiture marks the single largest asset recovery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since its establishment in 2003. The property was seized from a former top government official who is under investigation by the anti-graft agency.
In his ruling, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent failed to show cause as to why the property, reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, should not be forfeited to the government. The court’s decision was based on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14, 2006 and Section 44 (2) B of the 1999 Constitution.
The final forfeiture order follows an interim order secured by the EFCC on November 1, 2024. According to the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, asset recovery is pivotal in the fight against corruption and economic crimes, serving as a major disincentive to the corrupt and fraudulent.
The EFCC’s Establishment Act emphasizes asset recovery, mandating the Commission to trace and attach all assets and properties acquired through economic and financial crimes.