Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the final forfeiture of the sum of N204,849,859, 15 property and eight high-end vehicles from a fraud suspect, one Jedidiah Ibrahim Ezenwa.
The EFCC said the property, money and vehicles were recovered from Ezenwa, adding that they were illegitimately acquired through his companies.
The victims petitioned the Commission, alleging conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, fraudulent conversion of funds and money laundering against the defendants.
The companies through which Ezenwa was said to have fraudulently acquired the properties, the money and the vehicles are Jedidiah Cement Industry Ltd., Omega Global Resources, Jedidiah Universal Transport Hephz Ltd., Afrinvest Asset Management Ltd., The Gurguru Company Ltd., Josien Holdings Ltd., Prince Hephzibah Ibrahim Ezenwa and Prime Ebulah Properties Ltd. from his victims, Ibrahim Amusan, Afri Invest Ltd., Joisen Holdings Ltd. and Jack Welch Petroleum Services Ltd.
The properties include a four-bedroom ensuite apartment at Guzape, Asokoro New Extension, Abuja; a five-bedroom semi-detached duplex and one-room boys quarters in Chevy View Estate; Block LXX, Plot 19-20, Buckingham Court F, Sherifat Animashaun Street, Ajtran, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos; and one unit of a four-bedroom terrace duplex – Block B, House 3 at No. 15, Chief Bamidele Eletu Avenue, Osapa – Lekki, Lagos.
Others are a three-bedroom apartment on Plot 7, Block XXii, Oniru Chieftaincy Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos; and a five-bedroom semi-detached duplex and one-room boys quarters on Block LXX, Plot 21–23, Buckingham Court B, Sherifat Animashaun Street, Chevy View Estate, Ajtran, Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos State.
Also to be forfeited are four bedroom terrace duplexes located on Plot No. 48 Block R, Federal Sites and Services Scheme, Federal Housing Estate (Malaysian Estate), Benin-Asaba Expressway Asaba, Oshimili South L.G.A., Delta State; four bedroom terrace duplexes located on Plot No. 18A Block S, Core Area, Federal Sites and Services Scheme, Federal Housing Estate (Malaysian Estate), Benin-Asaba Expressway Asaba, Oshimili South L.G.A., Delta State; and Sub-plot No. TRCD29/Plot No. 4851 located on Citiscape Villa, Guzape District, Cadastral Zone A09, FCT.
The eight vehicles are one white SLK 350 Mercedes Benz; one black Selverado 4×4 Hilux; one Hummer Jeep, H3 black; one BMW X6 Wine Red SUV; one black CLS 63 Mercedes Benz; one cobalt ITZ Chevrolet saloon, a BMW Z40 IL black and white, and one Mercedes Benz G-Wagon SUV, Chassis No. WDCYC7AFZAX183776 (BLACK).
The order for the final forfeiture of the properties was granted by the court through EFFC’s counsel, Ibrahim Buba, who had earlier secured an interim order of forfeiture. It was followed up with a publication in national dailies for anyone to show cause why the properties and items should not be finally forfeited to the Nigerian government.
With no objection from any quarters within the court-stipulated time frame, the Commission applied to the court for their final forfeiture to the victims.
The defence counsel, Jerry U. Musa, appeared during the final forfeiture proceedings and objected to the EFCC’s power to investigate the case, which he described as “a mere breach of contract.”
Justice Ekwo, who disagreed with the defence counsel, held, “It is a contract scam and the EFCC had power to investigate and prosecute it by virtue of Section 6 of its Establishment Act.”
The judge also said that the EFCC, through its counsel Buba convinced the court that the money, properties and vehicles were proceeds of crime, and therefore ordered them to be finally forfeited to the victims through the Nigerian government.
