The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, moved a motion on notice for an order of a final forfeiture of the properties as well as the money belonging to the respondents: Capt. Olotu Olumuyiwa Morakinyo, Capt. Ebony Emmanuel Aneke and Lakewood Garden Ventures Limited.
The
first respondent, Morakinyo, served as Maritime Guard Commander in the
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, between
January and September, 2013.
The second respondent, Aneke, served as Maritime Guard Commander in NIMASA between September 2013 and December, 2014.
The third respondent, Lakewood, is a company jointly owned by the second respondent and his sister, Jimmie Aneke.
Justice
Hassan had, on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, ordered the interim
forfeiture of the properties, following a motion ex parte filed by the
Commission.
In
a 38-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Idris Adamu, an operative of
the EFCC, the applicant had prayed for an order of the court forfeiting
to the Federal Government a three- bedroom terrace duplex at Lekki
Gardens Limited Estate , Phase IV, Lekki-Ajah, Lagos recovered by the
Commission from the first respondent.
The
EFCC had also prayed for an interim order forfeiting to the Federal
Government another five-bedroom duplex at Lekki, Lagos State recovered
by the Commission from the second respondent.
Also,
the EFCC had sought an interim order of the court forfeiting to the
Federal Government the sum of N11,040,000.00( Eleven Million Forty
Thousand Naija) found and recovered by the Commission from the third
respondent.
In his ruling today, the judge had granted all the prayers sought by the applicant.
Justice Hassan had further directed the applicant to notify the respondents to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government .
The
judge had also directed the publication in any national newspaper of
the interim order for the respondents or anyone interested in the
properties and the money to show cause within 14 days why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Consequently, the EFCC had moved a
motion on notice for the final Forfeiture of the properties as well as
the money , having published the interim forfeiture order in a national
newspaper, as ordered by the court.
At the last adjourned sitting, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the first and second respondents had been served the notice and that they acknowledged services.
However, the respondents were absent in court during the last proceedings.
In view of this, Justice Hassan had adjourned the case to May 3, 2018( today) for ruling on the application filed by the EFCC.
In his ruling today, Justice Hassan ordered the final forfeiture of the properties and the money to the Federal Government.
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