President Bola Tinubu last week ordered that looted funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be diverted to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to bolster the scheme.
Mr Tinubu’s directive came during his meeting with the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and housing minister, Muttaqha Darma, to review the management and disposal of houses seized from some Nigerians after legal battles by the anti-graft agency.
The development came days after the People Gazette in the first part of this analysis highlighted some Nigerians comprising politicians, heads of public agencies among others who forfeited monies and properties in choice areas across the country to the federal government following court rulings. The Gazette continues its spotlight on others.
Cecilia Ibru
Ms Ibru, a former managing director of defunct Oceanic Bank, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on a three-count charge of negligence, reckless grant of credit facilities running into billions of dollars and mismanagement of depositors’ funds by a Federal High Court, Lagos Division, in October 2010. The court ordered forfeiture of several properties she owned across the world and shares in different companies to the Federal Government. This was during the tenure of now Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi Lamido as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Francis Atuche
A convicted ex-managing director of the defunct Bank PHB, Mr Atuche had his assets and funds amounting to N19 billion frozen in 24 banks by the EFCC in 2021. The order came after an Ikeja high court sentenced Mr Atuche to six years imprisonment and Ugo Anyanwu, a former chief financial officer of the bank, to a four-year jail term for N25.7 billion fraud.
Nicholas Mutu
Mr Mutu, a member of the House of Representatives representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, also forfeited N150 million to the government.
The forfeiture was ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, after the EFCC presented the findings of its investigation to the court showing that Mr Mutu received kickbacks totalling the sum of N400, 159, 689.63. The money was said to have been received from a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) consultant (Starline Consultancy Services), by Mr Mutu while serving as the House of Representatives chairman on NDDC.
The funds were said to have been received and laundered through the Heritage Bank accounts of the lawmaker’s companies; Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes Ltd.
Ibrahim Tumsah
A former director of Finance and Accounts in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Tumsah was arraigned in 2018 on charges bordering on abuse of office and illegal enrichment.” The court also ordered forfeiture of his properties, including 86 vehicles for failing to declare them and four houses, worth billions of naira. Mr Tumsah was suspended from office afterwards.
Saleh Mamman
A former power minister, Mr Mamman was for alleged N33.8 billion money-laundering offences, and he was convicted on 12-count amended charges. The former minister forfeited several properties in Abuja and Kaduna and other choice areas to FG.
Olalekan Alabi
Mr Alabi, an aide to former Kwara State governor, Abdufatah Ahmed, had his properties, including houses and car, forfeited to the FG. The forfeiture was ordered after the EFCC proved that the properties were acquired through proceeds of fraud.
Abdulaziz Yari
A former governor of Zamfara State, Mr Yari forfeited over N284 million to the federal government. The money was said to have been lodged in Zenith Bank Plc and Polaris Bank.
The forfeiture came after Mr Yari and two companies belonging to him (Kayatawa Nig. Ltd and B.T. Oil and Gas Nig. Ltd) were indicted for alleged fraud and dragged to the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in 2021.
Chukwunyere Nwabuoku
Mr Nwabuoku, a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, forfeited properties and funds that were proceeds of unlawful activities following an EFCC application.
The assets forfeited included shares valued at about N1.9 billion, cash assets worth over N288 million and a five-bedroom duplex located at No. 20 City Gate Estate, Kukwaba, Abuja.
Alade Anifowoshe
Mr Anifowoshe, a former director in the Public Works Corporation of the Lagos State government, was found guilty of using his position to corruptly enrich himself in 2017.
He later forfeited properties, including N28.5 million, houses, and a plot of land acquired through corrupt means, to the federal government. Lagos State later obtained a judgement seeking the release of the forfeited assets to it rather than the FG, since Mr Anifowoshe allegedly stole the money from the state coffers.
Herman Hembe, five other lawmakers
In 2012, a court ordered the forfeiture of N116 million alleged to be proceeds of crimes linked to the non-execution of constituency projects in Benue, Jigawa, and Gombe states, awarded to Hamza Barau and Hamshakin Ventures Ltd, funded by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), on behalf of six former federal lawmakers.
The lawmakers were Herman Hembe Benjamin Aboho, Udende Emmanuel, Orker-Jev, Abubarkar Mahmud Wambai and Anthony Madawatte, all former members of the House of Representatives.
Rochas Okorocha