Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Lagos ordered the ultimate forfeiture of $16,500 and N127 million diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) accounts to the federal authorities.
Justice Ogundare ordered the seizure of the monies after listening to an software filed by Sulaiman Sulaiman, an Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) lawyer.
The EFCC had informed the choose that the funds had been proceeds of illegal actions.
On Might 3, 2024, the choose ordered the interim forfeiture of the cash and ordered the anti-graft company to publish the order in a nationwide newspaper in order that events might present trigger why the funds shouldn’t be forfeited.
Nonetheless, no person challenged the proceedings at yesterday’s resumed listening to.
Whereas shifting the appliance for the ultimate forfeiture, Sulaiman knowledgeable the court docket that the appliance is supported by 22 paragraphs deposed to by Oghare Ogbole, an investigator with the EFCC.
He stated, “Two reveals accompany the appliance: the court docket’s interim order and lunch publication of June 26, 2024. It’s supported by the written tackle.
“We most respectively undertake identical and urge the court docket to grant the reduction sought,” he said.
Justice Ogundare, after listening to the lawyer, held that “order granted as prayed”.
The EFCC, within the affidavit in help of the appliance, made the next claims, “that on the 2nd October 2013, the administration of NIMASA beneath the management of Dr Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi vide letter referenced: NIMASA 2007/DG/NSA/2013/006 dated 2/10/13, requested for the discharge of the sum of N1,123,400 billion, for the implementation of Worldwide Ship and Port Safety (ISPS) initiatives.
“On the 4th day of November 2013, the then President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, by way of the nationwide safety adviser (NSA), accredited the requested sum of N1,123,400 billion And that upon the discharge of the primary tranche within the sum of N, 123 400 billion, account No. 0060559139, domiciled in a industrial financial institution, was opened on 03/1/14, by which Captain Bala Ezekiel Agaba, the chairman of the ISPS Committee/government director, NIMASA, Mr Victor I. Onuzurike and Mr. Dele T, Ejekukor are signatories.
“That no sooner had the cash hit the Committee’s account, one Mr Uche Obilor, an in depth affiliate of the chairman of the committee, Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba, acquired that complete sum of N437,726,666.66 million, by way of his firm often called Seabulk Offshore Operator Restricted with account quantity 005326440 domiciled in a industrial financial institution.
“That the stated Mr Uche Obilor acquired one other whopping sum of N402,480 million by way of his firm Southern Offshore Restricted with a industrial financial institution, account quantity 1013224100. Additionally, Mr Uche Obilor used his firm, Ace Prothesis Restricted, to obtain N66,800 million by way of its account quantity 1012583949, domiciled within the financial institution.
“That out of the N437,726,666.66 million paid to Seabulk Offshore Operator Restricted, the full sum of N187 million was transferred to Usaini Sabo on 06/03/2014, 10/06/2014, 12/06/2014 and 09/07/2014, who in flip transformed identical to US {Dollars} and handed them over to Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba.
“That from the stated sum paid to Seabulk Offshore Operator Restricted, the full sum of N67 million, was on the twenty third July 2014, paid to Kofar Fada Restricted, who additionally transformed the cash to US {dollars} and handed over the identical to Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba. And that the sum of N66,800 million, acquired by Uche Obilor by way of his firm Ace Prothesis Restricted from NIMASA, was equally transformed to non-public use with out rendering any service to the company.
“That from the sum of N402,480 million, acquired by Uche Obilor by way of his firm Southern Offshore Restricted from NIMASA, the full sum of N268 million, was paid to at least one Usaini Sabo, who transformed the stated sum to US {dollars} and handed identical over to Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba.
“That from the sum of N402,480 million, acquired from NIMASA by Mr Uche Obilor by way of his firm Southern Offshore Restricted, the full sum of N103,100 million, was equally transferred to Haji Kawu Funding Bureau De Change and Lekay Leads Ventures Restricted, which sums had been equally transformed to US {Dollars} and handed over to Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba.
“That the varied sums of cash transferred to the businesses of Mr Uche Obilor from the treasury of NIMASA had been fraudulent in that these corporations neither rendered any service nor provided items to the company. As a substitute, the funds had been transformed primarily to {Dollars} for private use, and Mr. Uche Obilor retained the remaining.”
