Massive Abuja Estate With 753 Duplexes Forfeited In EFCC’s Largest Asset Recovery

Readership NG reports that Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, ordered the final forfeiture of an estate in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, measuring 150,500 square meters and comprising 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated in a release that this marked the single largest asset recovery by the Commission since its inception in 2003. The estate is situated on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

“The forfeiture of the property to the federal government by a former top government official was pursuant to the EFCC’s mandate and policy directive of ensuring that the corrupt and fraudulent do not enjoy the proceeds of their unlawful activities,” the Commission explained.

The EFCC relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006, and Section 44 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to push its case. Ruling on the Commission’s application for the final forfeiture, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent had not shown cause as to why they should not lose the property. He declared, “As the property has been reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, it is hereby finally forfeited to the federal government.”

This final forfeiture order followed an interim forfeiture order secured before the same judge on November 1, 2024. The government official who fraudulently built the estate is still under investigation by the EFCC.

The EFCC emphasized that the forfeiture is a critical step in depriving suspects of the proceeds of crime. Justification for the forfeiture stems from Part 2, Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act, which grants the Commission the power to investigate individuals, corporate bodies, or organizations suspected of economic and financial crimes, particularly when the extent of their properties does not align with their legitimate sources of income.

The Commission’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has repeatedly highlighted the significance of asset recovery in combating corruption, economic, and financial crimes. Addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated:

“If you understand the intricacies involved in financial crimes investigation and prosecution, you will realize that recovering even one billion naira is a war. That is why, from the moment we start an investigation, we simultaneously begin asset tracing. Asset recovery is pivotal in the anti-corruption fight, and one of the most effective tools for an anti-corruption agency is asset tracing and recovery.

“If you allow the corrupt or those under investigation to access the proceeds of their crimes, they will fight back using those resources. To weaken them, we must deprive them of these proceeds. This approach has significantly aided our recoveries.”

The EFCC Establishment Act places significant emphasis on asset recovery. Section 24 of the Act mandates that whenever assets or properties of individuals arrested under the Act are attached, the Commission must apply for an interim forfeiture order. Upon securing such an order, the Commission continues investigations to justify a final forfeiture.

In this case, the prescribed procedure was meticulously followed. The recovery of this massive estate represents a milestone in the EFCC’s history and demonstrates President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the anti-corruption war.