Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has urged the Federal Government to hand over the forfeited 753 duplexes in Abuja to deserving medical doctors and civil servants as a mass housing scheme.
Olajengbesi also applauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing a landmark forfeiture of the 753 duplexes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In a statement on Monday night, Olajengbesi of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, described as a milestone in asset recovery, the feat recorded by EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and the anti-graft agency’s prosecuting team led by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
“This is a boost for the fight against corruption and asset recovery, which is a fulcrum for Nigeria’s anti-graft war. The intelligence gathering and diligent prosecution of the EFCC team is most admirable. This successful final forfeiture sends a message to corrupt politicians and their cronies, diverting public funds to amass wealth for themselves,” Olajengbesi said.
“The EFCC should not auction off the forfeited properties but complete them and hand them over to doctors and other deserving civil servants to encourage them in their service to humanity,” he added.
The commission had described the recovery of the estate in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments, as its “single largest asset recovery” since its inception in 2003.
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 of the district, was forfeited in a ruling on Monday, December 2, 20204, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
In the suit no FCT/HC/M/14519/2024 before the FCT High Court, the anti-graft agency had applied for an order of final forfeiture of the said property which it said was “reasonably suspected to have been acquired and or developed with proceeds of unlawful activity pursuant to section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and Section 44 (2) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The commission had said, “Whilst investigating the alleged monumental fraud carried out by the immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and his cronies traced and discovered several properties reasonably suspected to have been acquired and or developed with proceeds of unlawful activities.
“That in the cause of this investigation, it was revealed that the erstwhile CBN governor negotiates kickbacks in return for allocation of Foreign Exchange to some companies who were in desperate need of foreign exchange for their lawful and legitimate businesses.
“That our investigation equally revealed that erstwhile CBN Governor received kickbacks from some contractors who were awarded contracts by the Central Bank of Nigeria.”