admin
A final forfeiture order has
been secured by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) on 25 properties in Abuja belonging to Shehu Yar’Adua
Foundation and 24 other registered entities.
Crimefacts.news reports that a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, presided over by Hon Justice Baba H. Yusuf, ruled on an ex-parte application filed by ICPC granting it the final forfeiture order on the properties.
The order obtained by the
Commission on the properties is for their owners’ alleged failure to pay their
taxes as at when due, for which the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had
to prepare a schedule of tax obligations against them.
These companies were among 29
entities that had been earlier approached with a net N8.6 billion tax
liability, but they denied ownership of the properties. For this reason, a
complaint was submitted to the office of the Vice President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, which was forwarded to the Commission for further action.
Consequently, ICPC filed an
ex-parte application in the FCT High Court under Section 17 of the Advance Fee
Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, seeking an Interim Forfeiture Order
against the properties of the tax defaulters, which was granted.
In compliance with the order of
the court, the Commission published notices in national newspapers calling for
persons having interest in all or any of the forfeited properties to appear and
“show cause” why the said properties should not be finally forfeited to the
federal government.
That being so, three companies
— Frankdiowo Nigeria Limited, Kati Nigeria Limited and R.Timmermann & Co
Nigeria Limited – appeared in court to explain why their properties should not
be finally forfeited by urging the court to discharge them.
However, amongst them, only
Frankdiowo Nigeria Limited showed “good cause” and was discharged, while the
other two will return to court for the hearing of their affidavits.
Many of the forfeited
properties are located in central highbrow areas of Abuja such as Wuye, Jahi,
Utako, Wuse, Garki II and other areas. Ορμή Τρίνεξ
