A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday
ordered the final forfeiture of N1.83 billion, belonging to a former
Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dele Ezeoba.
The court
made the order for permanent forfeiture of the sum, following an application by
the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, pursuant to section 17 of the Advanced
Fee Fraud Act 2006.
Joined in
the suit as defendants, were Chukwuka Onwuchekwa and Aquila Leasing Ltd.
The trial
judge, Justice Muslim Hassan, had on March 15, issued an interim order for
forfeiture of the said sum.
Hassan had
then ordered the EFCC to make a publication of same in a national newspaper,
for the knowledge of interested parties.
Delivering
judgment on Thursday, the judge ordered a final forfeiture of N1.825 billion to
the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He held
that the EFCC, having complied with the provisions of section 17 of the Act, as
well the EFCC Act and the fact that the property was unclaimed, it was
appropriate to make the orders.
“Having
satisfied that such property is an unclaimed property, and also satisfying the
provisions of the law, the court shall order the final forfeiture of the said
property.
“In this
view, there is no other proof required to enable the court make an order of
final forfeiture; this application is meritorious and hereby granted.
“An order
is hereby made for final forfeiture of the total sum of N1.825 billion to the
federal government of Nigeria,’’ Hassan ruled.
The News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had, while moving the
application, said that the money was traced to the account of Aquila Leasing
Ltd and that Ezeoba had agreed, in his statement to the EFCC, to forfeit the
money.
He had
said that the money was proceeds of crime fraudulently diverted from the
Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of Dele Joseph Ezeoba.
The anti
graft agency said Ezeoba used the name of “Chukwuka Onwuchekwa’’ to open a
fraudulent account in disguise, while he was the one who truly laundered the
money.
EFCC said
that the former Naval Chief admitted that the account was opened with
Onwuchekwa’s consent while he (Ezeoba) managed it.
The
commission said that in a “desperate bid” to further disguise and conceal the
illicit source of the funds, Ezeoba entered into a memorandum of understanding
to buy Aquila’s shares from Onwucheka, who was the managing director.
It said
that the shares were worth N2.4 billion, out of which N1.83 billion had been
recovered in drafts in favour of the Federal Government.
The EFCC
had therefore, sought for an order of the court to forfeit the entire the
N1.825 billion to the federal government.
Meanwhile,
the respondent did not oppose the application for final forfeiture of the sums.
Counsel to
the respondent, Mr Pascal Madu, had said that his clients were not opposed to
the permanent forfeiture of the money.
He,
however, said that his clients were not involved in any fraud, adding that
Ezeoba, gave them the money to buy shares for him, as part of savings over the
years.
(NAN)
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