Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal
High Court sitting in Kaduna on July 4, 2017 dismissed an application by Abdullahi
Dikko Inde, former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, urging
the court to vacate its earlier interim order of forfeiture in favour of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
It would be recalled
that, the EFCC had on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 recovered seventeen exotic
vehicles in a warehouse of the former Comptroller-General of Customs located at
Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna.
The recovery was sequel
to an intelligence report the Commission received that stolen money and
properties suspected to be proceeds of crime were being warehoused at the
former custom boss’ premises.
Following the recovery,
the EFCC on February 24, 2017 secured an interim
forfeiture order of the court against the properties.
However, Inde’s counsel, Mahmud Magaji,
SAN, through a motion on notice urged the court to discharge the said order of
interim forfeiture against his client’s properties.
But in a considered ruling on
Tuesday, the court dismissed the application and held that “the EFCC has the
power to obtain an order of interim forfeiture in respect of properties
suspected to be proceeds of crime”.
The ruling was in respect of
consolidated applications in suits Nos. FHC/KD/CS/20/2017, EFCC V ALH. DIKKO
Inde and FHC/KD/CS/23/2017, EFCC V ALH. ABDULLAHI DIKKO Inde filed by the EFCC
Kaduna and Kano Zonal offices respectively.
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