The Federal High Court in Abuja will, on 28th May, hear the motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking an order for the final forfeiture of N228.4 million linked to the former Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to hear the motion after the counsel for the EFCC, Fadila Yusuf, informed the court that the agency had complied with the earlier court order.
When the matter was called, Justice Nwite asked Yusuf about the status of the case. The lawyer stated that the matter was slated for a report of compliance. She said, “I wish to state that we have complied by publishing the report” on the commission’s website and in a newspaper as directed by the court, and she applied for a date to move their motion on notice for final forfeiture.
The judge adjourned the matter to 28th May for the hearing of the motion.
It is worth recalling that the court, on 13th February, adjourned proceedings in the forfeiture case to 7th April, following the EFCC’s inability to publish the interim forfeiture order of the sum of over N228.4 million in the national dailies as directed.
The lawyer had attributed the delay to her office’s inability to access the order on time, which prevented them from placing the publication on their website and in the newspaper.
Justice Nwite, on 3rd January, granted an order for the temporary freezing of the funds to the Federal Government on allegations of money laundering against the former governor.
In that ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by Yusuf, the judge also directed the commission to publish the order on its website and in the Daily Trust newspaper. He further directed that interested parties should show cause within 14 days of the publication of the order why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The anti-graft agency, in the motion ex-parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/03/V/2025, brought the suit against Orji, who served as a two-term senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District before retiring from active politics. The suit was filed pursuant to Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The motion, filed on 2nd January, sought an order granting an interim freezing and forfeiture of the sum of N228,497,773.12 domiciled with Keystone Bank, as set out in the schedule attached to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The EFCC lawyer, in her five-point argument, stated that the money described in the schedule was the subject of an EFCC investigation and was found in the possession of Effdee Nigeria Ltd, which was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
“Effdee Nigeria Ltd is alleged to have conspired with others to defraud the Abia State Government, to wit: conspiracy, abuse of office, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, and diversion of public funds.
“Effdee Nigeria Ltd, in whose possession the monies were found, is reasonably suspected to have conspired with Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji, the former Governor of Abia State, some officials in the former governor’s administration, and his family members,” she said, adding that they were being investigated by the EFCC following an intelligence report received by the commission against Orji.
According to her, there is a need to preserve the monies pending investigation and/or prosecution.
The anti-graft agency, on 28th February, arraigned Orji and his son, Chinedum, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, along with Dr Philip Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance, and others, on allegations of N47 billion fraud.
The other defendants include a government contractor, Obioma King, and a former Director of Finance in the state, Romanus Madu.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds, were, however, granted bail in the sum of N50 million by the court.
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