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Court stops EFCC from seizing Gov Matawalle’s properties in Abuja
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, retrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from confiscating six properties traced to the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, in Abuja.
The judge gave the order while ruling on an application for forfeiture of the properties filed by EFCC.
The commission had sued the owner of the properties in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/709/22 .
The assets are – Plot 729, Idu Industrial Layout; Plot 1327, Cadastral Zone AO5, Maitama District; Plot 2934, Cadastral Zone, AO6, Maitama District and Plot 730, Cadastral Zone AO6, Maitama District.
Read also:INSECURITY: Zamfara govt declares lockdown in three LGs, suspends political activities
Others are – Plot 28048, Cadastral Zone, Maitama District, and Plot 515, Cadastral Zone, BOO, Kukwaba District.
EFCC said in the application that its operatives received an intelligence report that the governor had been using the state’s fund to acquire multi-billion naira property in choice areas of Abuja.
The commission accused Matawalle of moving N2.1 billion from the state’s Ministry of Finance to the Directorate of Investment and Business under his office and used some companies and Bureau De Change (BDC) to launder the money.
In Friday’s proceeding, the judge based the order on Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution which grants absolute immunity to serving governors from civil and criminal proceedings.
He held that the anti-graft agency lacked the power to initiate any criminal proceedings against Matawalle while still in office.
The judge added that the criminal proceeding activated against the governor by EFCC was an abuse of the court process.
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