Court orders interim forfeiture of private university ‘linked to ex-civil servant’

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of NOK university, a private institution located in Kaduna, said to be linked to one Anthony Hassan, identified as a former director of finance and accounts, federal ministry of health. 

In a ruling on an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/688/2022, and filed by Ekele Iheanacho, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Zainab Abubakar, the presiding judge, ordered that the institution be temporarily forfeited to the federal government.

According to NAN, the judge also ordered the interim forfeiture of Gwasmyen water factory, Gwasmyen event centre and Gwasmyen international hotel, all said to be linked to Hassan.

The court ordered the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper within 14 days for interested parties to show cause why the affected property should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The matter was thereafter adjourned till October 5.

In an affidavit deposed to by Adaora Oragudosi, an investigating officer with the EFCC, the commission alleged that Hassan diverted public funds with which he acquired the identified assets.

Oragudosi alleged that the former director diverted the funds running into billions of naira through the government integrated financial management information system (GIFMIS).

GIFMIS, an IT-based system for accounting and budget management, was designed by the federal government to actualise integrated and automated information systems and promote modernised fiscal processes.

The EFCC investigating officer alleged that Hassan, in his position as the director of finance and accounts, had the final approving authority for all payments made on the GIFMIS and Remita platforms of the federal ministry of health.

“The respondent, as the DFA in the federal ministry of health, appointed projects accountants to handle specific projects and this entails payments being made into their personal accounts from the GIFMIS platform for disbursement to the beneficiaries towards the execution of the projects,” she said. 

“While acting as the DFA in the federal ministry of health, the respondent diverted public funds using some of the staff of the finance and account department, who include Data Nanbam, Musa A. Musa, Yar’dua Maikudi, Abubakar Sadiq Bulama, Alhassan Yahaya and Yusuf Barde Ajiji.

“Between 2016 and 2019, the above staff of the ministry of health referred to in paragraph 4 (xxviii), who received funds into their bank accounts as project accountants for the execution of various projects through the GIFMIS platform, handed over the sum of N1,309,508,877 to the respondent for the latter’s personal use.

“The respondent received these diverted public funds either in cash or through bank transfers or indirectly through third parties.

“Whilst being a civil servant, the respondent also incorporated and personally operated other companies named Kyus Enterprises Ltd, Kyus Hotels Ltd and Kyus Oil & Gas Ltd.”