N275 million fraud: EFCC seeks remaining forfeiture of Sunflower Lodge linked to former Vice Chancellor of a Nigerian College
The {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) has requested the Federal Excessive Court docket Abuja for a remaining forfeiture order towards Sunflower Lodge Kaduna linked to a former Vice Chancellor of the Nationwide Open College of Nigeria (NOUN) Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe and different workers alleged to have diverted over N275 million from the college {bank} accounts.
The accusations have been contained in its movement on discover marked FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2024, earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja.
Nairametrics beforehand reported that the EFCC had informed the Court docket that the property referred to as Sunflower Lodge Kaduna, amongst others, was suspected to be proceeds of crime linked to Monday Onyema, a former Bursar, NOUN, Adamu Danlami and Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe, underneath investigation of the alleged offences of conspiracy, stealing of public funds.
EFCC’s Case
EFCC’s counsel, Francis Usani submitted that the sum of N 275,081, 896.90 presumed to be diverted from the account of NOUN by Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe was additionally used to fund the renovation and completion of the Sunflower Lodge.
He acknowledged that the event quantities to the diversion of public funds belonging to NOUN, including that makes an attempt have been made to apprehend the purported homeowners of the property however to no avail and no person has come out expressly to say possession of the stated lodge.
Within the affidavit deposed to by an EFCC, workers, Hayatudeen S. Ahmed, the suspects who’re stated to be all at massive, allegedly conspired and connived with different workers of the NOUN to divert public funds into corporations the place that they had a subsisting curiosity.
He stated, via the businesses, they funded their tasks.
The fee had then prayed the court docket to dam the lodge constructing from being offered or used whereas ordering any individual of curiosity to point out trigger why the lodge shouldn’t be forfeited to the federal authorities.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his ruling, had granted EFCC’s request saying “Order is hereby made for the preservation of the property referred to as Sunflower Lodge, situated at Sunflower Crescent, Unguwan Maigero Highway, Narayi, Kaduna, moderately suspected to be proceeds of illegal exercise,” Ekwo dominated.
The EFCC subsequently filed a remaining forfeiture software towards the property, insisting it’s moderately suspected to be proceeds of illegal actions.
The matter was talked about earlier than the Court docket on Friday and the request was adjourned to September 30 for judgement.
What it is best to know
The EFCC is a federal authorities company saddled with monitoring and prosecuting {financial} crimes.
Referring to legal or civil proceedings, the Federal Excessive Court docket is among the courts of first occasion.
