EFCC ‘seizes’ over 20 houses from Diezani, five from Fayose, Dasuki

Former governors, ex-ministers, top military officers and businessmen are among owners of the properties seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The highlights of the forfeiture were contained in a document obtained by The Nation.

The document indicates that the EFCC is empowered by the law to place all suspicious assets under interim assets forfeiture – in line with sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC establishment act and section 13(1) of the federal high court act, 2004.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum, lost a multi-storey building in Banana Island Foreshore estate in Ikoyi, a real estate comprising six flats in Ikoyi and an estate of 21 mixed housing in Yaba, Lagos, among others.

Two properties owned by Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser, in Kaduna and Abuja were also forfeited to the federal government.

Also, Haruna Momoh, a former managing director of PPMC, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Pertroleum Corporation(NNPC), reportedly lost two mansions in Maitama district, Abuja to the temporary forfeiture order.

The anti-graft agency also secured the final seizure of Flat 7B at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi where $43.45 million cash was recovered.

Other owners of the seized properties include Ibrahim Shema, ex-governor of Katsina stae, (20); Ayodele Fayose, ex-governor of Ekiti state (three); Babangida Aliyu, ex-governor of Niger state, (two); Bello Mohammed former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (one); Iyorchia Ayu, former senator (one); Isa Yuguda, former governor of Bauchi state, (one) and Abba Moro, ex-minister of interior (one) and Micheal Obasuyi, ex-managing director of Platinum Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Limited, who bought 134 buses, 20 houses with N11.4 billion slush cash.

According to Ibrahim Magu, EFCC chairman, about 407 mansions were seized by the agency from 2015 to 2018.

Magu said the forfeited assets have been handed over to the federal government for use by ministries, departments  and agencies.

“Hundreds of properties such as filling stations, petroleum products, land, jewellery, automobiles, real estate, vessels, hospitals, company shares and heavy machinery and broadcast equipment, have been seized from corrupt elements between 2015 and 2018,” he said.

“From 2015 to 2018, 407 mansions were seized, 126 have been forfeited finally and 281 are under interim forfeiture.

“Nine filling stations were seized and placed under interim forfeiture. Lands seized sums up to 98, of which 56 are under interim forfeiture while 42 have been forfeited finally to the federal government.”