BREAKING: Court orders forfeiture of Yahaya Bello’s Dubai, Abuja, Lagos properties

Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello may lose properties worth billions of naira as the Justice Nicholas Oweibo-led Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, ordered the temporary forfeiture of 14 properties.

The affected properties are located in Lagos, Abuja and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The properties were confirmed to have been linked to governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

The forfeiture was at the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC through an ex-parte order.

The Judge granted the orders after an ex-parte application was brought before the Honourable Court.

While moving the application, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), claimed that the properties, including the one in the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, were reasonably suspected of having been derived from unlawful activities.

EFCC’s lawyer also told the Court that the N400 million was reasonably suspected of having been derived from an unlawful activity and intended to acquire Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos by one, Aminu Falala.

Having considered the merit of the case, the Court ordered the forfeiture of N400 million which was earlier recovered from Aminu Falala.

The Judge, however, directed the anti-graft agency to publish the order within 14 days for any interested party to show cause why the forfeiture order should not be made permanently.