Court Vacates Forfeiture Order On Ekweremadu’s 40 Properties

On Friday, a Federal High Court in Abuja overturned a temporary forfeiture order, that had been issued against Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the former Deputy Senate President.

Justice Inyang Ekwo vacated the order following a discovery that the forfeiture order was illegally obtained by the Federal Government against the properties.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which got the order on behalf of the Federal Government, was found by the judge to have omitted material that resulted in its granting, and the order was subsequently lifted.

Justice Ekwo argued that the EFCC failed to provide the court with the crucial information while knowing full well that Ekweremadu was being held in the UK.

With his detention in London, the Judge agreed with Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, counsel to Ekweremadu, that there was no way the former Deputy Senate President would be opportune to defend his ownership of the disputed properties.

The interim forfeiture order was given in favor of the Federal Government by Justice Ekwo on the 4th of November, 2022, as a result of an ex-parte application that the EFCC had submitted to him.

The judge made it clear that anyone with a stake in the seized property should declare it within 14 days after the publication of the court’s interim forfeiture order.

The former deputy senate president and his wife are currently on trial in the UK for accused organ harvesting.