‘Fraud’: Court orders interim forfeiture of N510m traced to ex-AVM

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of N510 million traced to Uko Etim Ebong, a former commander of the presidential air fleet.

In his ruling on Monday, Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge, held that the money is suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

In an ex-part application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft agency said the money was part of N731 million paid to the former air vice marshal from the office of the national security adviser (NSA).

According to the commission, Ebong, who was the commander of PAF from 2013 to 2015, had not executed any contract with the NSA to warrant such payment.

He was accused of using private companies — Magnificent 5 Ventures Ltd, Tripple Kay Company Nigeria Ltd and Elionenai International College Ltd — to manage the funds in order to hide his identity.

“An order is hereby made for the interim forfeiture of the sum of N510,000,000 in Sterling Bank account No: 0029581583 recovered by the applicant, which funds are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities,” the judge ruled.

The EFCC said one of the companies controlled by Ebong and his wife was paid the money under the guise of renovating PAF barracks, but such contract was not executed.

“Without any contractual agreement, a total sum of N731, 000, 000.00 was paid to Magnificent 5 Ventures Limited between May, 2014 and October, 2014 by the ONSA under the guise of payment for renovation of PAF barracks, PAF staff quarters,” the EFCC said in an affidavit.

“There is no proof of any work carried out by Magnificent 5 Ventures Ltd based on which the above payments were made to it.

“The payments were made into the Sterling Bank Plc Account No. 0026142493 operated by Magnificent 5 Ventures Ltd. Mrs. Ebong Mercy Uko and her brother Ekpo Ubong Asuquo are also the signatories to the said Bank account of Magnificent 5 Ventures Ltd.

“That upon receipt of the above funds into the account of Magnificent 5 Ventures Ltd, the funds were transferred and fixed deposited in the Sterling Bank Account of Tripple Kay Company Nigeria Ltd.

“The transfer instructions were purportedly authorized by Mrs. Ebong – the wife of AVM Ebong.

“Tripple Kay Company Ltd is a registered company with its directors as Ebong Ikanke and Ebong Mercy Uko. AVM Ebong signed as director in the CAC particulars of Directors with the name Ebong Ikanke.”