A Federal High Court in Abuja has agreed to hear a suit seeking the vacation of an interim forfeiture order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a number of properties in Abuja and Niger State in relation to a N2.5 billion fraud case.
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Justice Musa Liam yesterday fixed hearing for October 16 after lawyer to the EFCC, J.N Dongonyaro, said he was yet to respond to what the properties’ owner, Abdullahi Saidu, filed and requested for time to file a counter affidavit.
The properties affected by the forfeiture order include two units of four-bedroom semi-detached duplexes at Aliyu Villa, Brick City Phase 1, Kubwa, Abuja.
Others are a three-bedroom terrace duplex at Tungan Yakubu, along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, and two landed properties designated as Plots C1 and C2.
Also affected is Ngeil Supermarket Plaza located at Sabon Wuse, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.
Saidu is claiming in his application that the said properties were not acquired with proceeds of illegal activities as claimed by the EFCC.
The EFCC had claimed in its motion for interim forfeiture that investigations showed that the said properties were allegedly purchased with fraudulently obtained funds.
The commission said its investigation followed a petition by Alhaji Adamu Ya’u, alleging that Saidu, in connivance with Kamal Oladayo Soetan and Adamu Abdullahi Yerima (also known as Adamu Waziri) defrauded him in a diamond transaction.
It alleged that Saidu and others told Ya’u that they owned 30 parcels of diamond pallets, weighing about 50.210kg and 22 parcels of rough diamonds, which they offered to sell to him.
Saidu and others were said to have allegedly demanded various sums from Ya’u for purported clearance and other reasons connected with the shipment.
The EFCC stated that Saidu allegedly collected $773,000 in tranches purportedly to clear the consignment at a Nigerian port.
It further alleged that Saidu collected $553,000 purportedly to pay Customs officers, while another of his associates identified as Yerima allegedly collected $672,000 in tranches purportedly for final clearance by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The EFCC said Ya’u claimed that the total sum collected from him by Saudi and others amounted to N2.5 billion.
It said investigations revealed that the diamonds were never supplied after the payments were made and that claims by Saidu and others were found to be untrue.
The EFCC alleged that investigations established that there was no diamond consignment for sale as represented by Saidu and others, adding that he allegedly used his share of the proceeds to acquire the properties.
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