The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday ordered final forfeiture of the sum of N775,000,000.00 and three properties to the Federal government.
The huge sum of money and properties belongs to a former Accountant General of the Federation Jonah Otunla and Colonel Bello Fadile rtd an aide to former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.
According to court documents three of the properties are located at No. 8 Ajay Crowther Street, Asokoro, Abuja; a Plot of land at Plot 1960 Cadastral Zone A05 Maitama District, FCT, Abuja; a Hotel which is under construction with generating set, located at Plot 621, Road 37, Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja and a twin 4 bedroom duplex with guard quarters located at Plot 736, 7th Avenue Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja,
Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja made the order of final forfeiture following a motion moved by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Moving the motion for the final forfeiture of the assets, Counsel to the EFCC, Christopher Mshelia, informed the court that the assets were recovered by the Commission in the course of investigation of contract fraud in the Office of former National Security Adviser (ONSA) , Sambo Dasuki,
He further informed the court that both the money and properties were proceeds of the unlawful activities of Colonel Bello Fadile and Mr. Jonah Otunla.
“The money and properties are the product of illicit activities of a former Accountant General of the Federation Jonah Otunla and Colonel Bello Fadile,” he said.
According to the lawyer the sum , N775, 000,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Seventy-five Million Naira) was refunded by Otunla and Otunba Ade Adelakun who is now (late) during the investigation,
Whilst the landed properties are “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity received, retained, concealed and converted by the respondents from the office of the National Security Adviser to the President”.
The Commission had on July 20, 2020 secured an interim forfeiture order on the assets and also published the Order of the court on August 11, 2022, in Thisday Newspaper, for the respondent to show cause why the money and properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Okorowo in granting the final forfeiture, stated that the court was satisfied with the evidence before it and ordered the final forfeiture of the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.