Court Orders EFCC To Take Over Abuja Estate With 753 Duplexes

 

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court on Monday ordered the final forfeiture of an Abuja estate to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The estate, located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, spans 150,500 square metres and comprises 753 units of duplexes and apartments.

This is the single largest asset recovery ever recorded by the EFCC since its establishment in 2003.

The court held that the respondent, a former high-ranking government official, failed to provide a convincing explanation for the ownership of the property, which was suspected to have been acquired through illicit means.

The ruling was based on provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, as well as Section 44 (2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

Justice Onwuegbuzie noted that the EFCC had presented sufficient evidence to warrant the forfeiture of the property, stating, “The property is hereby finally forfeited to the federal government as it has been reasonably suspected to be acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”

The forfeiture process began on November 1, 2024, when the EFCC secured an interim forfeiture order from the same court.

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The estate’s former owner is reportedly under investigation for financial crimes linked to the fraudulent acquisition of the property.

Speaking on the significance of the ruling, the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, described asset recovery as a critical tool in the fight against corruption.

Addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption recently, he emphasized the importance of asset tracing and recovery as part of the agency’s operational strategy.

“If you allow the corrupt to keep the proceeds of their crime, they will use it to fight back. That is why asset recovery is pivotal in our anti-corruption fight. From the onset of any investigation, we simultaneously begin asset tracing,” Olukoyede said.