A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interim forfeiture of about 40 landed properties believed to have been unlawfully acquired by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have been in detention in the United Kingdom since their arrest in London on June 23.
Recall that they allegedly plotted to unlawfully harvest the organ of a Nigerian male youth for their daughter.
In a ruling today, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the motion ex-parte filed by the EFCC and argued by its lawyer, Ibrahim Buba.
Justice Ekwo ordered the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national daily within seven days to afford anybody with interest in the affected property to show cause within 14 days of the publication why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judge adjourned till December 5, 2022, for the report, during which the EFCC is to report its compliance with the order and for anybody with interest in the affected property to file any objection to the interim forfeiture order.
The EFCC stated among others, in a supporting affidavit, that: “Sometime in March 2008 the applicant (EFCC) received intelligence reports from the United Kingdom and the United States of America law enforcement agencies against Senator Ike Ekweremadu, then Deputy President of the Senate, the Federal Republic of Nigeria on allegations of money laundering activities involving the use of several of his registered companies and entities to acquire properties in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
