Justice Rilwan Aikawa of a Lagos Federal High Court, has ordered the temporary forfeiture of two houses belonging to a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
The two properties were located at Plots 10 and 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The order was sequel to an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006
The EFCC told the court it uncovered monumental fraud perpetrated in the treasury of the Kwara State Government between 2003 and 2011, when Saraki was the governor of the state.
An operative of the EFCC, Olamide Sadiq, said in an affidavit filed in support of the ex parte application that the move for the forfeiture of the houses followed the findings of the EFCC after investigation and the report of a committee set up to review sales of Kwara State Government during the reign of the Governor of Kwara State in the year 2003 and 2011.
The EFCC said it believed that Saraki developed the two properties with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Counsel for the commission, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, urged Justice Aikawa to order their temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government.
After granting the order as prayed, Justice Aikawa directed the EFCC to publish the temporary forfeiture order in a national newspaper and adjourned till December 17 for anyone interested in the properties to appear before him to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
