Court Orders Final Forfeiture of 1.925 Hectares of Land, Warehouse, 54 Steel Containers

Hon. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of a massive land measuring 1.925 hectares containing a warehouse with 54 containers, in Ogun State, to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for being acquired by fraud.

The Judge, who presided over the court made the order of final forfeiture of the land, the warehouse, and the containers while granting a motion on notice marked FHC/L/MISC/820/24, filed by the EFCC through its Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN and Hanatu Kofanaisa. The EFCC informed the court that it reasonably suspected the properties, listed in Schedule A, to have been acquired and or developed with proceeds of unlawful activity.

 In urging the court for the final forfeiture order, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN told the court that the properties, including all its appurtenances, are “a warehouse built on a landed property measuring 1.925 hectares at Km 8 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Magboro, in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State” and 54 general purpose steel containers. He further told the court that the EFCC’s grounds for the application were that the “court has the statutory powers under the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, to grant the reliefs being sought.

“That the properties sought to be forfeited, are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. “This honourable court has the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine this application.”

 Upon reading the affidavit in support of the motion on notice sworn to by an EFCC investigating officer, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, and the Exhibits attached, as well as a written address in support of the motion on notice, and after hearing Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Justice Dipeolu held: “the application succeeds and same is accordingly granted”.

“A final forfeiture order is hereby granted, forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule A herein which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired
with proceeds unlawful activities.”