A Federal High Court Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture of N3.5bilion and 68,000 dollars belonging to Ibrahim Abdulsalami, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and others.
The others are Adegorite Olumuyiwa, a former General Manager for Procurement and Segun Agbolade, a former General Manager for Finance, both of NAMA.
Also included are a former acting General Manager for Information and Communication Technology of MAMA, Bolaniran Akinribido, Adegorite’s wife, Joy, and one Abiodun Sessebor.
The rest are Randville Investment Ltd, Multeng Travels and Tours, Delosa Ltd, Airsea Delivery Ltd and Sea Schedule Systems Ltd.
Also to be temporarily forfeited are a residential building at 5, Sobo Arobiodu Street, GRA, Ikeja, three filling stations at Egbeda-Idimu Road, by Faith Bus Stop; Idi-Oro, Mushin; and Alakuko, all in Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said that the ownership of the listed properties was yet to be determined.
All the individuals and the companies involved are on trial before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.
They are facing a 21-count charge bordering on N2.8billion fraud.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo made the interim forfeiture order based on an ex-parte originating summons filed by the EFCC.
The commission sought an order that the bank accounts of the 12 persons and companies currently being prosecuted be temporarily attached and taken over by EFCC until trial is concluded.
EFCC prayed for an order that all dealings and transactions on the bank accounts be suspended pending the conclusion of prosecution of the alleged offences against them.
The prosecution also asked that the properties, buildings, parcels of land and premises belonging to them be temporarily vested in the EFCC.
Among the sums forfeited are N30.1million in Adegorite’s account, N8.7million and N120million in Randville Investment’s account, and another 42, 000 dollars in Adegorite’s account.
Others forfeited sums include, N2.8million in Delosas’ account, N1.2billion in Avesta Ventures Electronics Nigeria Ltd’s account, N985.6million, N281million, N681million and N47million in the accounts of Merry Aviation Communication Electrical Ltd, among others.
In a supporting affidavit, an EFCC investigating officer, Mr Nuradeen Bello, said the commission received a petition January 13, 2016, alleging that some management staff of NAMA stole government funds running into billions of naira.
He averred that the sums were derived through fictitious procurement contracts, fake container clearing contracts and fraudulent cash advances to some members of staff.
Bello said the funds in the bank accounts are some of the laundered proceeds of the alleged crime for which they are being prosecuted.
The deponent averred that while the prosecution is ongoing, the commission got wind of plans by the respondents to transfer funds out of their various accounts.
The properties, buildings, parcels of land and premises belonging to the respondents also form some of the laundered proceeds of the crimes for which they are being prosecuted, Bello further said.
He averred that an order of court attaching the aforementioned funds to the commission was imperative to prevent further dissipation of the respondents’ funds and assets.
He said that it was in the interest of justice to grant the EFCC’s application.
Justice Oguntoyibo granted the application as prayed after it was moved by EFCCs counsel.
