Nigerian Court orders forfeiture of N500 million stolen by Bauchi’s ex-SSG

A Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the forfeiture of N500 million belonging to Bauchi State government which was stolen by the former Secretary to Bauchi State government, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Dandija.

The order was declared by Justice Zainab Abubakar of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

The ruling was at the instance of an application filed at the Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of $899,600 (about N500 million).

The judge averred the anti-graft’s Counsel placed sufficient evidence to prove that the money was stolen and laundered and “should be forfeited in line with Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011 as amended in 2012.”

Sometime in December 4, 2019, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided by Justice Folashade Giwa Ogunbanjo had of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered lordered the interim forfeiture of the said sum after the EFCC, through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the sum of $899,600 was recovered at an apartment at the Sigma Apartment, located at 1 Embu Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja where Alhaji Dandija hid the hard currency.

The EFCC upon recovery filed an ex-parte application for forfeiture.