Ikoyi plaza N450million finally forfeited to Federal Government

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Ikoyi plaza N450million finally forfeited to Federal Government

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Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday ordered the formal forfeiture of N449,597,000 (about N450 million) found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in LEGICO Shopping mall, Victoria Island, Lagos to the Federal Government of Nigeria.Recall EFCC on April 8 uncovered a large sum of suspected laundered money to the tune of N448, 850,000 in the Shopping Plaza.The forfeiture was initially on the interim pending further fulfilment of conditions. Mr. Aikawa had on April 19 ordered the interim forfeiture.The order came following a motion ex-parte filed by Rotimi Oyedepo, a prosecutor with the EFCC pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.Mr. Aikawa in his ruling last month, ordered anyone interested in the money to appear before him at the next adjourned date to show reason why the money should not be fully forfeited to the Federal Government, considering the situation surrounding it, while directing the agency to publish in a widely ready paper or a national daily same information.However, when the hearing resumed on Friday, Idris Mohammed, counsel to the EFCC, urged the court to issue a final order forfeiting the total sum of N449,597,000 to the federal government.Mr. Mohammed, said “the sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.”“I have perused the motion on notice and as far as my records show, neither the respondent nor any other interested party has filed any affidavit or any other process to show course why the interim order should not be granted.“I have no other option but to grant the motion as prayed.“I hereby order that the sum of N449, 597,000 found in the possession of the respondent which is believed to be proceeds of unlawful activity be finally forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria,” Aikama closed.

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