Court orders forfeiture of N50m linked to ex-Enugu chief judge

A federal high court in Enugu On Monday ordered the interim forfeiture of N50m allegedly found in the bank account of Innocent Umezulike, former chief judge of the state.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who disclosed this, said the order followed an application by the anti-graft agency seeking the forfeiture of assets linked to Umezulike.

“Justice AM Liman of the federal high court sitting in Enugu, Enugu  state, has ordered an interim  forfeiture of a sum of N50,000,000 contained in a Zenith Bank Plc account of a former chief judge of Enugu state, Justice Innocent Umezulike,” he said.

“The order was made in response to a prayer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seeking the freezing, seizure and forfeiture of property and assets linked to the former chief judge.”

Uwujaren also said Umezulike was being investigated for alleged abuse of office and for receiving gratification.

“Specifically, the former chief judge  will be arraigned at a federal high court  sitting in Port Harcourt,  Rivers state  on a four -count charge bordering  on false asset declarations,” he said.

“Although the application for the arraignment has been filed before the court, no date has been fixed for the arraignment.”