Money Laundering: Court gives final forfeiture orders of N354, 000 intercepted at the Kaduna International Airport in March 2017

Justice Nnamdi Dimg alt=’Money Laundering: Court orders final
forfeiture of N354, 000?intercepted at the Kaduna International Airport
in?March?2017′ class=’img-responsive text-center’ style=’margin:
auto;’ba of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the final
forfeiture of N354, 000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand Naira)
which was uncovered by operatives of EFCC during investigations into the
N49 million intercepted at the Kaduna International Airport on March
13, 2017.

Oyebanji Steve, Taiye Omoniyi Oluwaleke, Risikat Taimiyu Titilayo,
Fausat Oni, and Joshua Kisabo had laid claim to the N49 million and
challenged the confiscation of the money by the EFCC.

During further investigation, one of the claimants led a team of
operatives to Deidei, a suburb in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,
where in the process of executing a search, some thugs had attacked
operatives; but the attack was repelled by police officers on the team.

Subsequently, a bag containing the N354,000 was uncovered, abandoned
by some persons suspected to be engaging in unlawful selling of new
naira notes. The money was made up of N200 and N50 notes (mint)
abandoned at the scene, which was confiscated and taken to the Kaduna
office of the EFCC. Since the seizure, nobody has come to claim the
money. Hence, it was suspected to be proceeds of crime.

On March 13, 2018, Justice Dimg alt=’Money Laundering: Court orders
final forfeiture of N354, 000?intercepted at the Kaduna International
Airport in?March?2017′ class=’img-responsive text-center’ style=’margin:
auto;’ba granted an interim forfeiture order of the said amount
following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC.

Consequently, the EFCC moved a motion on notice for the final forfeiture
of the money, having published the interim forfeiture order in the
national newspapers, as ordered by the Court.

In his ruling on January 21, 2019, Justice Dimg alt=’Money
Laundering: Court orders final forfeiture of N354, 000?intercepted at
the Kaduna International Airport in?March?2017′ class=’img-responsive
text-center’ style=’margin: auto;’ba granted the final forfeiture of the
money to the Federal Government.