Court orders final forfeiture of N449Million found by EFCC to FG

Justice Rilawan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, May 19, 2017, ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N449,597,000 found in an abandoned Bureau de Change shop in Victoria Island, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The forfeiture order followed a motion on notice taken before him by the anti-graft agency. The temporary forfeiture of the money was ordered on April 19 till today for one Mohammed Tauheed, who was joined as a respondent in the suit and any other interested party to appear before the Judge to give reasons why the money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government. At the resumed hearing of the case today, the Judge ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government as no one came forward to claim it. On Friday, counsel for the EFCC, Idris Mohammed, told the judge that the interim order of April 19 had been advertised in the newspaper on May 11, so as to bring the case to the notice of Tauheed any interested party. He added that apart from the newspaper publication, Tauheed was also served with the motion on notice. He urged the judge to order the final forfeiture of the money since neither Tauheed nor anyone else came forward to claim it. Justice Aikawa, in a short ruling, granted the application.