The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday gave permission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to temporarily seize 40 properties traced to Ike Ekweremadu.
The order comes as Mr Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, is being held in the United Kingdom for allegedly trying to harvest David Nwamini’s kidney for their ailing daughter.
The judge, Inyang Ekwo, handed down the interim forfeiture order for his properties after hearing an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.
An EFCC lawyer, Ibrahim Buba, moved the application for the confiscation of the assets, saying they were suspicious proceeds of crime.
The lawyer told the judge that the landed properties comprise 15 in Abuja, 10 in Enugu (Mr Ekweremadu’s home state), one in Lagos, two in the United Kingdom, three in the United States, and nine in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The EFCC claimed the assets were allegedly acquired with proceeds of fraud.
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Ruling, Mr Ekwo granted the application and ordered the EFCC to, within seven days from the date of the order, publish the interim forfeiture order of the assets in a national daily.
This is to enable whoever has interest in the assets to approach the court give to convince the court not to issue an order of permanent forfeiture to the federal government.
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Money laundering case, more details of assets
In a statement issued by the EFCC after Friday’s proceedings, the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, cited a report of investigation giving more details about the case and Mr Ekweremadu’s assets involved.
According to the statement, Afeez Mustapha, an investigator with EFCC, who deposed to an affidavit in support of the commission’s application, disclosed that the former Deputy Senate President was being investigated for money laundering.
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Temporarily forfeited assets provided by EFCC
Mr Mustapha said the commission received intelligence from “some foreign entities on suspicion of money laundering involving the acquisition of several properties in the United Kingdom, Dubai and the United States of America through proxies and unregistered companies”.
The schedule of properties attached to the forfeiture application listed properties allegedly acquired by Mr Ekweremudu “with funds not supported by his legitimate income”.
The properties, according to the commission, include a London property at Flat 4, Varsity Court, Hormer Street ( WIH4NW) which was acquired on December 4, 2008, for £830,000; three properties in Florida, United States, one of which was purchased for $155,000
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