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Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of Ex-Minister’s Abuja Apartment, Seizes Four More Properties
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a luxury apartment linked to a former Minister of Power, while placing four additional properties under interim forfeiture as part of efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired with proceeds of corruption.
Justice James Omotosho granted the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ruling that the Walijam Apartments located on Lobito Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities established during the former minister’s criminal trial.
The court also ordered the interim forfeiture of four other properties pending the determination of ownership. The affected assets include Bloom Luxury Suites Nigeria Limited in Kaduna State, two mansions on Misratah Street in Wuse 2, Abuja, and A.U.A Plaza on Kade Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.
Justice Omotosho held that although the EFCC had not yet conclusively established ownership or beneficial interest in the four properties, the commission had presented sufficient evidence to justify their temporary forfeiture.
He directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper within seven days to allow any individual or organisation with an interest in the properties to challenge the order before it becomes final.
The judge also dismissed an objection by the former minister’s legal team, which argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the forfeiture application after delivering judgment in the criminal case.
According to the court, Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act empowers it to make restitution and forfeiture orders even after a conviction has been secured.
During the proceedings, the EFCC told the court that the former minister diverted about ₦22 billion from the ₦33.8 billion involved in the case and that less than ₦2 billion had been recovered despite previous forfeiture orders.
The anti-graft agency argued that the additional assets were necessary to recover part of the outstanding proceeds of the alleged crime.
The latest ruling follows the court’s judgment of May 7, which convicted the former minister on 12 counts of money laundering involving funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Projects.
Justice Omotosho sentenced the former minister to a cumulative 75 years’ imprisonment after finding that he diverted at least ₦22 billion through proxy companies and associates. The court also ordered him to refund the outstanding balance of the stolen funds after deducting recovered assets and directed security agencies, including INTERPOL, to arrest him wherever he is found.
The judge described the diversion of funds meant for critical electricity projects as a serious breach of public trust, saying the offences deprived Nigerians of much-needed improvements in power supply.
Following weeks of surveillance, the EFCC arrested the former minister after his conviction and transferred him to a correctional facility to begin serving his sentence.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the commission remained committed to ensuring the former minister serves his prison term. He is also facing a separate criminal trial over an alleged ₦31 billion fraud.
The Accord Party has defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polling unit of former Osun Deputy Governor and ex-APC National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, in the ongoing Osun State governorship election.
According to results uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), Accord secured 131 votes at Polling Unit 003, Ife Ward 1 (Moore), St. Gabriel Primary School, in Ife East Local Government Area.
The APC polled 85 votes to finish second, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) recorded 10 votes. Other political parties obtained marginal votes at the polling unit.
The result adds to a series of early victories recorded by the Accord Party as INEC continues the uploading and collation of results across the state.
Earlier, Accord also won at the polling unit of former Osun Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area.
The result sheet uploaded on the IReV portal showed Accord polling 125 votes, ahead of the APC, which recorded 85 votes. The ADC secured five votes.
Meanwhile, INEC has continued to upload results from polling units across Osun State as the governorship election moves into the collation stage.
Voters across the state’s 30 local government areas cast their ballots on Saturday to elect a governor for the next four years.
The major contenders in the election include the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, and African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salaam.
The Accord Party has won the governorship election at the polling unit of former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of the state.
According to the result sheet uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) IReV portal, Accord polled 125 votes to emerge victorious at the polling unit.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) came second with 85 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured five votes.
The African Action Congress (AAC) scored two votes, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) each recorded one vote.
Other parties, including the AA, ADP, APGA, APM, APP, BP, NNPP and PRP, recorded no votes.
The result sheet showed that 228 voters were accredited, with 220 valid votes cast and eight rejected ballots.
The election was conducted at Court Hall I, Okuku, in Odo-Otin Local Government Area.
The result comes against the backdrop of Oyinlola’s reported endorsement of the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the election.
Oyinlola, who governed Osun State from 2003 to 2010, had publicly backed Oyebamiji despite the APC candidate running against incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The outcome at Oyinlola’s polling unit therefore puts the Accord Party ahead of the APC, with Adeleke’s party failing to secure the unit despite the incumbent governor’s participation in the election.
Voting was disrupted in Ejigbo, Osun State, after violence broke out at a polling unit during the ongoing Osun State Governorship election.
It was gathered that voters, residents and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fled the polling unit as tension escalated around the area.
According to Channels TV, people were seen running in different directions while motorcycles and vehicles moved through the area as residents attempted to escape the unfolding situation.
The immediate cause of the violence was not clear, as the chaos temporarily halted the ongoing electoral process.
The incident comes as voters come out in their numbers to partake in governorship election amid tight security.
Osun Election: Accord Defeats APC in Omisore’s Polling Unit
Osun election: Oyinlola Loses Polling Unit to Accord Party
Osun election: INEC officials take to their heels as violence erupts in Ejigbo
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