EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of N775m, Luxury Apartments Linked to Ex-Accountant General, Otunla, Fadile

•Re-arraigns Ex-Kaduna gov, Yero, others over money laundering

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it has secured the final forfeiture of the sum of N775,000,000 and three properties belonging to

a former Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla and Colonel Bello Fadile, an aide to former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo  Dasuki.

The properties are located at No. 8, Ajayi 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 four-bedroom duplex with guard quarters located at Plot 736, 7th Avenue Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja.

The forfeiture order was granted by Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

A statement by the EFCC explained that the money and properties were the product of illicit activities of Otunla and Fadile.

ional Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.

Moving a motion for the final forfeiture of the assets yesterday, Counsel to the EFCC, Christopher Mshelia, informed the court that the assets recovered by the commission in the course of investigating contract fraud in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Sambo Dasuki, were proceeds of the unlawful activities by Fadile and Mr. Jonah Otunla.

He said the N775, 000,000 was refunded by Otunla and Otunba Ade Adelakun (late) during the investigation, whilst the landed properties sought to be forfeited 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.

Meanwhile, EFCC, yesterday re-arraigned a former governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on an eight count amended charges bordering on money laundering.

The re-arraignment was sequel to the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice M.G Umar, from the State.

Yero is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside Nuhu Somo Wya (a former minister), Ishaq Hamsa (a former Secretary to Kaduna State Government) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state) for their alleged involvement in the receipt and disbursement of the sum of N700 million paid to them by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.

At today’s sitting, the prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, told the court that the case was for re-arraignment of the defendants and urged the court to ask them to take their pleas.

The charges were read to the defendants and they all pleaded ‘not guilty’.

One of the amended counts read: “That you, Muktar Ramalan Yero (while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna ( whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did conspire among yourselves to commit a felony to wit: indirectly taking possession of the sum of N700,000,000.00 which you ought to have known forms part of unlawful activity to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Another count read: “That you Mukhtar Ramalan Yero ( whilst being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), Ishaq Hamza (whilst being the secretary to the Kaduna state government), and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did indirectly take possession of the aggregate sum of N700,000,000.00 which you reasonably ought to have known forms parts of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011( as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Following their pleas, the defence counsel, Yunus Ustaz Usman urged the court to extend to the defendants, the terms of the bail earlier granted them by the former judge.

The prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, appearing with M.E Eimonye and P.C Onyeneho, did not object to the application.

The case was adjourned till 16th, 17th and 18th January, 2023, for trial, a statement by EFCC said.