Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos has ordered the everlasting forfeiture of 20 automobiles, allegedly stolen from residential driveways and firm automotive tons in Canada and shipped to Nigeria to the federal authorities of Nigeria.
Justice Dipeolu made the order after the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) moved a movement on discover for the forfeiture of the automobiles since no particular person or organisation got here ahead to assert them.
The decide had on Could 27, 2024, ordered the interim forfeiture of the automobiles whereas directing the EFCC to publish the order for any particular person to look earlier than the court docket and present trigger why it shouldn’t be lastly forfeited.
However on the resumed listening to, the EFCC lawyer, Rahman Abdulrasheed informed the court docket that his company had complied with the court docket’s directives.
Abdulrasheed additionally submitted that the ultimate forfeiture orders sought by his employer have been underneath Part 44(2)(B) of the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended); Part 17 of the Advance Payment Fraud and Different Fraud Associated Offences Act 2006 and underneath the court docket’s inherent jurisdiction.
The lawyer additionally requested the court docket for “an order of the Court docket forfeiting to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria all of the properties talked about within the connected schedules of this software, which properties are moderately suspected to have been acquired via stealing and with proceeds from different illegal financial actions.
“An order of the Court docket empowering the Canadian Deputy Excessive Fee in Nigeria or some other officer so designated by the workplace to eliminate the forfeited properties talked about within the connected Schedules 1-2 of this software both by sale or return to the victims, topic to remittance of the statutory two per cent from the proceeds to the EFCC Restoration Account.”
Justice Dipeolu, after listening to the anti-graft company’s lawyer and studying via all of the processes filed earlier than the court docket with the authorities cited, granted the prayers sought and ordered the ultimate forfeiture of 20 automobiles.
The automobiles with their Automobile Identification Quantity (VIN) lastly forfeited to the Federal authorities are black color SUV 400, 4JGDA5GB4JB171399; 4MATIC Mercedes Benz white color, 5J8YD4H8XKL802910; SUV MDX SH-AWD Acura, JTJDZKCA7J2001379; gray color SUV RS 350L Lexus, ZT2BZMCAIKC169393; Deep Blue SUV RX 350 Lexus, JTEBUS5JR2F524329; white color Toyota 4Runner 2015, 2T2ZMDA4LC226597; White Color 2020 mannequin Lexus RX 350, 2TBZMCA5KC176315; White 2019 Lexus RX 350, 2T2JZMDA71C250961; Black 2020 Mannequin Lexus RX350, 5FPYK3FIXHB506759; and Black Honda Ridgeline 2017 Mannequin, 2T2BZMCA6J140258.
Others are: White Lexus RX 350 SPORT 2019 Mannequin, 2T2HZMDA9LC217488; Gray Color Lexus RX 350 2019 Mannequin, JTBU5JROIJ5488955; Gray Color Toyota 4Runner 2018 Mannequin, 2T28ZMCAOKC187920; White Lexus RX 350 FS Sport 2019 Mannequin, STDJZRFHXHS516516; White Toyota Highlander XLE AWD 2017 Mannequin, 2T2BZMCAOKC187929; Black Toyota Highlander 2020 Mannequin, STDJRFHZHS516516; Black Toyota Highlander 2018 Mannequin, 5TDJ2RFOKS62467; Black Mercedes Benz G550 2019 Mannequin, 5TDDZRFH9JS493877; Purple Lexus Rx 350 2016 Mannequin, 2T2BZMCA5GC007709, WDCYC6BJ5KX302861; Black Lexus Rx 350 2016 Mannequin, 2T2BZMCA1GC038813, and White Mercedes Benz GLA 250 2018 Mannequin, WDCTGB7JJ497934.
The EFCC in an affidavit in help of the appliance deposed to by one in all its investigators, Olufemi Olukini, states the next: “Someday in April 2022, throughout an official assembly held at 7A Okotie-eboh Road, Ikoyi Lagos between officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCM) and Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC officers handed a reputable intelligence to the Fee which alleged that over 350 automobiles comprehensively listed on an Excel sheet with their respective car identification Quantity (VIN) have been stolen from varied areas in Canada and shipped to Nigeria.
“These automobiles have been bought on an internet web site, www.ii.com, by some on-line distributors/brokers whereas others are displayed on the market at varied automotive stands throughout the nation.
“The automobiles are listed in a complete Excel sheet alongside some photos and knowledge. And that a few of these automobiles are intercepted on the level of entry into Nigeria at Tincan Island port, Lagos
“Our workforce commenced preliminary investigation into the case by figuring out the Automobile Identification Quantity (VIN) of every of the mentioned stolen automobiles and subjecting them to evaluation utilizing Open Supply Intelligence (OSINT).
“That preliminary outcomes from the evaluation revealed the automobiles have been positioned primarily throughout Lagos State metropolis, significantly Lekki, at totally different automotive stands and locations and the Nigerian ports pending clearance into the nation. That surveillance was safe-tied out on the recognized areas, adopted by sting operations, which led to the bodily location and identification of those automobiles.
“That about 40 of the stolen automobiles have been initially positioned by the intelligence workforce, who then introduced an analogous software in swimsuit no. FHC/L/CS/2051/2023 between Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee V. Wilmon Autos Nigeria Restricted & 177 ORS whereby Honourable Justice D. I. Dipeolu granted a closing forfeiture order on 6 March 2024.
“That quickly after the above order was granted, the intelligence workforce additional positioned the automobiles listed in Schedules 1 and a pair of of this software, which necessitated this current suite.
“The thirteenth to twentieth respondents described in Schedules 1 and a pair of connected to this software have been recovered as a part of the stolen automobiles and shipped to Nigeria. And that the VIN of the automobiles corresponds with these of the stolen automobiles contained within the intelligence obtained from RCMP, and no particular person has come ahead to assert possession of those automobiles.
“Investigation carried out revealed that the motor automobiles described aforesaid have been stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between March and June 2022. And that the majority of those automobiles have been insured, and the insurance coverage firms concerned had indemnified the respective homeowners of the automobiles.
“The insurance coverage firms at the moment are within the place of the homeowners having delegated their pursuits to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police liaison officer with the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria to pursue their pursuits.”
