EFCC gets fresh forfeiture order on N1.2bn, $327,132.35, £167.85, €157.90

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered that the sums
of N1,250,000,000; $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.90 recovered by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should be permanently
forfeited to the Federal Government.

The permanent forfeiture order followed a suit filed by the EFCC
against Heritage Bank Plc and Secure Electronics Technology
Limited.

The anti-graft agency said the funds were reasonably suspected
to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Counsel for the EFCC, Mr Iheanacho Ekene, told Justice Chuka
Obiozor that, “The persons in whose possession the funds were found
are not laying claim to them and surrendered them for
forfeiture.”

Justice Obiozor had in August made a temporary forfeiture order
in respect of the funds.

He ordered the EFCC to publish the interim order in the
newspapers for anyone interested in the money to be able to show up
in court to prove why it should not be permanently forfeited to the
Federal Government.

On Tuesday, Iheanacho told the judge that the publication order
had been complied with, adding that no one had shown up to lay
claim to the money.

He urged the judge to order that the funds be permanently
forfeited to the Federal Government.

As there was no opposing application, Justice Obiozor ordered
the sums of N1.2bn, $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.90 permanently
forfeited to the Federal Government.

A female investigator with the EFCC, Oghare Ogbole, had in a
supporting affidavit to the interim forfeiture application, averred
that the funds were discovered following an intelligence report
received by the anti-graft agency.

She added that, “Heritage Bank did not provide any legitimate
explanation for the above transactions (involving the sums) and
consequently returned the said money through 16 separate bank
drafts issued in favour of the EFCC Recovered Funds Account.”