Gen. forfeits N10.9b properties to govt

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it obtained an order from a Federal High Court in Abuja for the final forfeiture of assets estimated at N10.9billion owned by “a top military officer.”

EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, said the order was issued on Monday by Justice N. E. Maha.

Wilson said: “The 24 properties scattered across Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River states, comprise land, shopping complex, gas station and fuel stations cumulatively valued at N10, 935,000,000.00.”

The EFCC had, in an earlier statement, claimed that the landed properties “belonging to a top military officer, but controlled through proxies.”

Part of the statement reads: “Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court on February 14 ordered the final forfeiture of 24 properties held by fronts and proxies to a top military officer, to the Federal Government.

“The order was pursuant to a forfeiture application by the EFCC, which had in May 2020 secured the forfeiture of the properties on an interim basis.

“The court had ordered the publication of notices in national newspapers, inviting persons with interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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“With no such interest shown by any entity, Justice Maha on February 14, 2022, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.

“The 24 properties scattered across Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River states, comprise land, shopping complex, gas station and fuel stations cumulatively valued at N10, 935,000,000.00.

“The properties are: a 16 Pump filling Station located at Rijiyar Lemo, Kano; a filling station with 41 pumps located opposite Federal Secretariat, Kano; a filling station with 39 pumps located along BUK Road, Kano; a filling station with 31 pumps located along Zaria Bypass, Kano; a filling station with 31 pumps located along Maiduguri Bypass, Kano; a filling station with 29 pumps located along Maiduguri Bypass, Kano; a filling Station with 23 pumps located along Naibawa, Kano.

“Others are a filling station with 39 pumps located along Bachirawa, Kano; a filling station with 51 pumps and a one-storey building with 35 shops attached to the Filling Station located along Shiek Ja’afar Road Dorayi, Kano; an LPG plant with 30 shops attached to it located along Zaria Road, Kano;  Marhaba Event Centre, Guda Abdullahi Road, Farm Centre, Kano; a three-storey building (Plaza) with 28 shops located on Hadeja Road, next to Sheshe Supermarket, Kano; a three-storey building (Plaza) with 126 shops located on Audu Bako Way, Opposite Nation Plaza, Kano; Classic Block Industry at Maiduguri Road, Kano; Atlasfield Corporate Headquarters, No. L6 Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna; undeveloped plot located at Sharada, Adjacent A.A. Rano Filling Station, Kano.

“The rest are undeveloped plot located at Yan Rake, Adjacent Dala Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano; undeveloped plot located along Kano-Gwarzo Road, Adjacent Kedco Regional Office, Kano North/Opposite Silver Spoon Restaurant, Kano; undeveloped plot located along Kano-Gwarzo Road, opposite Markaz Mosque, Kano; undeveloped plot located on Sani Marshal Road, Opposite Nissan Automobile, Kano; 11.7 hectares located Adjacent TINAPA Resort, Adiabo, Calabar; Truck Assembly Plant, Easter Bypass, Kano; Event Center located in Calabar, Cross River State; Aflac Plastics Limited located behind National Eye Centre, Kaduna.”

The Nation