The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final
forfeiture of the sums of N1,250,000,000; $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.91
recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Federal
Government.
Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order on Tuesday, following 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.
Iheanacho Ekene, Counsel for the EFCC, told Justice Obiozor
that “The persons in whose possession the funds were found are not laying claim
to them and surrendered them for forfeiture.”
In August, Justice Obiozor had 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 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.
In a supporting affidavit to the forfeiture application, a
female investigator with the EFCC, Oghare Ogbole, had 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.
“Attached and marked as exhibits EFCC 7A to 7F are the bank
drafts representing the refund of the sums of N157,000,000,000 by Heritage Bank
Plc, on the sums of $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.90," she said.
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