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Court to rule on final forfeiture of $899,600 recovered from Abuja apartment January 2022

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Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday reserved ruling on the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the final forfeiture of the sum of $899,600 recovered from an apartment in Abuja till January 31, 2022

Justice F. Giwa Ogunbanjo had on December 4, 2019, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money while ruling on an ex parte application filed by the commission.

EFCC had asked the court to order the forfeiture of the money recovered from Sigma Apartment, No 1 Embu Street, off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse 2, Abuja, to the Federal Government, being suspected proceeds of illicit activities.

In his ruling, the judge directed the EFCC to publish the order of interim forfeiture for any person interested in the funds to show cause why it should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.

At the resumed hearing on the matter on Wednesday, the EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, moved an application for final forfeiture of the money.

He informed the court that all parties had been served with the processes.

READ ALSO: Court orders interim forfeiture of houses, cars linked to convicted fraudster, Invictus Obi

Counsel for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents, Blessing Anazodo, A.O Usman, and Ademola Adeleye, told the court that they had filed their responses to the application.

Anazodo, who is the counsel to the 1st respondent, urged the court to set aside the interim forfeiture order earlier granted by the court and order the release of the funds to her client, one Abdullahi Sulaiman.

But the EFCC counsel said the commission had filed a counter-affidavit to the 1st respondent motion.

He urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection.

Counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents did not oppose the reliefs sought by the EFCC on the matter.

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