The Federal High court sitting in Lagos had on Wednesday ordered the final forfeiture of N2.7 billion corruptions proceeds recovered from former chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The order was directed by Mojisola Olatoregun, the judge in response to an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in June 2018.
The same court earlier had granted an interim forfeiture of N2.2 billion recovered from Amosun by EFCC suspected to be proceeds of corruption acquired unlawfully.
The judge had also granted an order for forfeiture of additional N190 million recovered from Olugbenga Gbadebo, an Air commodore, also former Director of Finance of the Nigerian Air force.
Olatoregun further ordered the forfeiture of N101 million recovered from Solomon Enterprise a company linked to Mr. Amosun.
The judge directed the EFCC to publish the interim order in the Nation and Punch Newspapers to prompt any respondent who may have interest in the case to prove why the said amount cannot be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Mr. Amosu and an interested party, Bolaji Adigun, an air vice marshal, had filed counter-affidavits arguing that the funds were proceeds of their personal investment not an illegal fund.
However, on Wednesday, the judge dismissed the counter-affidavits, stating that they had failed to establish if the funds were obtained lawfully.
“Upon examination of the two applications asking the interim orders to be set aside, dated July 28, 2018. From the first respondent and the interested party, I found nothing to set aside the order, and the applications are hereby dismissed.
“The only conclusion I can reach is that these funds are proceeds of an unlawful activity.
Consequently, “I hereby order the final forfeiture of these sums to the Federal Government of Nigeria: N2,244,500,000, N190,828,978.15 and N101 million.
“The funds should be paid into the nominated GTB treasury single account of the Federal Government and an affidavit of compliance filed within 14 days.” Mrs. Olatoregun said. (Premium Times)
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