By Michael Ojo
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered that 12 landed properties linked to a former Director of Finance at the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Jacobs Adigun, be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Mohammed Liman made an order for the temporary forfeiture of the properties on Friday following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the 12 landed properties, scattered across Lagos and Abuja, were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of a N21.4bn fraud allegedly perpetrated by Adigun alongside Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.).
In an affidavit filed in support of the ex parte application, an investigating officer of the EFCC, Akube Okechuckwu, said the N21.4bn included N200m paid on January 7, 2014 into NAF Operations account by the Office of the National Security Adviser; N3bn maritime security support paid to NAF by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency in September 2014; and 18.2bn moved out of NAF accounts into various cronies’ companies.
He said the N21.4bn was diverted through seven firms, namely: Juda Oil and Gas Limited; Namaliki Investment; Lebol Oil and Gas Limited; Hakuri Oil and Gas Limited; Mcallan Oil and Gas Limited; Delfina Oil and Gas Limited and Trapezites BDC.
The EFCC lawyer, Oyedepo, told Justice Liman that it would be in the interest of justice for the court to order a temporary forfeiture of the 12 landed properties linked to Adigun.
He identified the properties to include houses at No. 27 Agodogba Avenue, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos; No. 40A Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; Plot 164, Victoria Island Annex (Sinari Daranijo Street), VI, Lagos; Block 54A, Plot 14, Lekki Peninsula Scheme One; Capador Plaza, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Wuse II, Abuja; Plot 762 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja; and No. 39 Agdez Street, Wuse II, Abuja;
Others are Sand Lake Hotel, Plot 3497 Sand Lake Street, Maitama, Abuja; Plot No. 61 Lake Chad Street, Maitama Abuja; No. 2 Imo Rivers Close, off Danube Crescent, Maitama, Abuja; and No. 2 River Palata Street, Maitama, Abuja.
After taking argument from Oyedepo on Friday, Justice Liman made an order for the temporary forfeiture of the properties. The judge ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the forfeiture order in a national daily newspaper to put interested parties on notice.
He adjourned till June 9, 2020 for anyone with interest in the properties to appear in court to give reasons why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com