Court orders forfeiture of Saraki’s Ikoyi houses

By Ese Awhotu with agency

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the forfeiture of two properties belonging to former Kwara State governor and ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Liman gave the temporary forfeiture order yesterday following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
A statement issued by the EFCC on Monday said the properties are located at No. 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos.
The EFCC said the forfeiture followed an ex parte application filed by its counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, that the properties were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
The anti- graft agency also alleged in a supporting affidavit that Mr Saraki, who served two terms as Kwara State Governor between 2003 and 2011, “withdrew over N12 billion cash from the account of the Kwara State Government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his personal assistants, Abdul Adama, at different intervals.”
The EFCC lawyer, Mr Omewa, said the court was empowered to order the temporary forfeiture of the landed asset to the Federal Government.
Delivering ruling on the application, Justice Liman ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties.
He also instructed that the EFCC should publish the order in a national newspaper.
After ordering the temporary forfeiture of the properties, the judge gave 14 days for anyone with an interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.