As President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption rages on, some former public officers being probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices & Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have had their funds or assets forfeited to the federal government, either temporarily or permanently.
Those who were affected include former governors, ex-ministers and others who have held various public offices in the past.
According to Daily Trust, the value of the forfeited assets by the former public officers stands at N21.8bn, $273.3m (N83.9bn at CBN’s exchange rate of 307) and £74,000 (N29.3m at CBN’s exchange rate of 396). The newspaper, however, stated that its current findings did not capture several other assets forfeited which are yet to be valued.
Here is a list of nine ex-public officeholders who have had their funds or assets forfeited to the federal government so far.
1. Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources.
Daily Trust reports that Alison-Madueke had about N86bn worth cash and assets linked to her permanently forfeited to the federal government.
2. Patience Jonathan, former first lady Patience Jonathan, according to the report, had N9.2 billion and $8.4 million (about N2.6billion) permanently forfeited to the federal government.
3. Bukola Saraki, former governor, former president of the Senate.
Saraki’s properties in Ilorin allegedly worth about N1bn have also been temporarily forfeited to the federal government.
4. Rochas Okorocha, former governor of Imo state (including his wife, daughter, and aide).
Some assets reportedly traced to Okorocha, his wife and daughter have been temporarily forfeited to the federal government.
The EFCC also obtained an interim forfeiture order on a property, Dews of Hope Hospital (worth N1.5 billion), traced to a former aide to Okorocha, Paschal Obi.
5. Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba state.
After the Nyame was successfully convicted, the court reportedly ordered that all the funds previously recovered by the EFCC from aides to the ex-governor and other government officials involved in the scam be forfeited to the Taraba state government.
- Winifred Oyo-Ita, former Head of Service of the Federation, (through a suspect linked to her). Some assets returned by a suspect who was linked to Oyo-Ita have also been permanently forfeited to the federal government.
Winifred Oya-Ita. - Engineer Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC Yakubu reportedly forfeited $9.7 million and £74,000 to the federal government. The money which the court reportedly ruled that it was illegally acquired was allegedly stashed in a fireproof safe.
Engineer Andrew Yakubu. - Haruna Momoh (and his wife, Ochuko Okor), former managing director of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC). The ICPC reportedly secured an interim forfeiture order to recover N2.4 billion and some landed properties alleged to have been illegally acquired and linked to Haruna Momoh and his wife, Ochuko Okor. Momoh and his wife are, however, challenging the order in court.
Haruna Momoh. - Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT). The court has reportedly ordered temporary forfeiture of 23 properties linked to Maina. The temporarily forfeited properties are in Kaduna, Borno, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina.
In a related development, the EFCC has reportedly commenced moves to seize some assets belonging to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Abia state governor.
The anti-graft commission commenced the move on Saturday, December 14, by marking properties belonging to Senator Kalu.
EFCC’s action is in a bid to seek reparation for the N7.65 billion Kalu was convicted of stealing from the Abia state treasury. The marking of the properties is to ensure that the properties are not dissipated as the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, had ruled that Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, be wound up and all assets forfeited to the federal government.
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