A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an interim forfeiture order that was obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.
The EFCC had obtained the order to confiscate 40 landed properties belonging to Ekweremadu in an alleged corruption charge.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court vacated the order today. His reason was that the forfeiture order was fraudulently obtained by the government against the properties.
Justice Ekwo said whoever is interested in the forfeited properties should indicate within 14 days of the publication of the interim forfeiture order from the court.
Ekweremadu and his wife are still standing trial in the United Kingdom over an alleged organ harvesting and human trafficking filed against him by the UK government.
The judge, while lifting the order, decided that the EFCC which obtained the order concealed information that led to granting it.
Justice Ekwo said EFCC expressed concern that even though the EFCC was aware of Ekweremadu’s predicament in the United Kingdom, it failed to make the useful information available to court.
The judge agreed with counsel to Ekweremadu, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, that there was no way the former deputy senate president would be opportune to defend his ownership of the disputed properties.
