The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday under the ruling of Justice Nicholas Oweibo ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of N241 million allegedly diverted from the office of the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Justice Oweibo also ordered that a building, Real Tower Centre Shopping Complex at Plot 1121, Ekukinam Street, Utako District, Cadastral Zone, Abuja be taken over by the federal government.
He gave the rulings after engaging an ex parte application filed by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo.
While moving the application, Oyedepo had informed the judge that the N241m was warehoused in two banks in the sums of N65 million, N61 million, N50million, and N65million.
He claimed that an intelligence report received by the anti-graft agency revealed that the Abuja property was purchased with funds furtively diverted from SDG, office of the SSA to the President, where one Abdulsalam Bawa is a Principal Accountant.
The lawyer alleged that Bawa is the key suspect in the crime and that the diversion was perpetrated in a grand conspiracy with some SDG staff.
Oyedepo also linked two firms, Kouchdim Unity Nigeria Ltd and Lankass Global Ventures, to the alleged diversion.
Justice Oweibo adjourned the matter till September 6, 2021, for final forfeiture proceedings and to enable interested parties to join the suit.
The EFCC’s application was supported by a four-page affidavit of urgency deposed to by one of its operatives, Ebunoluwa Amusan.
Ada Peter
