Segun Atanda/
Two Naval officers, facing a N138million fraud trial, have ceded some of their belongings to the Federal Government of Nigeria today.
Capt. Olotu Olumuyiwa Morakinyo and Capt. Ebony Emmanuel Aneke along with their company, Lakewood Garden Ventures Limited, lost two properties and the sum of N 11,040,000 through a court order, when they failed to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties, seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government .
The officers were being tried for conspiracy, stealing and money laundering.
Justice M. S. Hassan of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered the final forfeiture of a three- bedroom terrace duplex at Lekki Gardens Limited Estate, Phase IV, Lekki-Ajah, Lagos and a five-bedroom duplex at Lekki, Lagos recovered by the EFCC, as well as N11, 040, 000 also recovered from them.
The EFCC had on April 24, moved a motion on notice for an order of a final forfeiture of the properties as well as the money belonging to the respondents.
The first respondent, Morakinyo, served as Maritime Guard Commander in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, between January and September, 2013.
The second respondent, Aneke, served as Maritime Guard Commander in NIMASA between September 2013 and December, 2014.
The third respondent, Lakewood, is a company jointly owned by the second respondent and his sister, Jimmie Aneke.
Justice Hassan had, on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties, following a motion ex parte filed by the Commission.
In a 38-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Idris Adamu, an operative of the EFCC, the applicant had prayed for an order of the court forfeiting the properties to the Federal Government.
In his ruling today, the judge had granted all the prayers sought by the applicant.
Justice Hassan had further directed the applicant to notify the respondents to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government .
The judge had also directed the publication in any national newspaper of the interim order for the respondents or anyone interested in the properties and the money to show cause within 14 days why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Consequently, the EFCC had moved a motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the properties as well as the money , having published the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper, as ordered by the court.
At the last adjourned sitting, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the first and second respondents had been served the notice and that they acknowledged services.
However, the respondents were absent in court during the last proceedings.
In view of this, Justice Hassan had adjourned the case till today for ruling on the application filed by the EFCC.
In his ruling today, he ordered the final forfeiture of the properties and the money to the Federal Government.
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