A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the N235, 451, 969.89 traced to the account of a convicted fraudster, Obinwanne Okeke.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Liman had on March 23, 2020, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money domiciled in First City Monument Bank, following an ex parte application dated December 18, 2019, by the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
The Judge had also ordered the EFCC to advertise same in any national newspaper for anyone to show cause why the said money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Sequel to the newspaper publication, the anti-graft agency, through its counsel, I Sulaiman, on June 2, 2020, filed a Motion on Notice seeking the final forfeiture of the said money to the Federal Government.
In his ruling, after taking the submissions of lawyers, Justice Liman ordered the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government as prayed.
Okeke, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Invictus Group, was arrested in the USA in 2019 and charged with two counts of computer and wire fraud. He pleaded guilty and was consequently convicted.