EFCC: Why we withheld identity of seized Abuja estate’s owner

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it withheld the identity of the owner of seized estate landed property with 753-unit duplexes in Abuja.

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, said it would be unprofessional to mention names of individuals whose identities were not directly linked to any title document of the properties.

Oyewale was responding to the criticisms that followed the EFCC record-breaking asset recovery of a 150,500-square-meter estate with 753 duplexes and other apartments in Abuja.

The EFCC had on Monday secured a judgement through the Federal Capital Territory High Court, ordering final forfeiture of the property to the government.

It was alleged that the anti-graft agency deliberately covered up the identity of the owners of the estate.

Oyewale, however, noted that the company flagged by the EFCC investigations denied ownership of the estate located in the Lokogoma area of Abuja.

Oyewale stated that the forfeiture of the property was carried out in line with Nigerian law, specifically under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.

He said the forfeiture proceeding was a civil action involving the estate, rather than targeting an individual directly.

The EFCC spokesman said: “The allegation of a cover-up of the identity of the promoters of the Estate stands logic on the head.

Top govt official forfeits 753 duplexes, apartments to FG

“This, in the sense that the proceedings for the forfeiture of the Estate were in line with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act.

“This is a civil proceeding that allows for action-in-rem rather than action-in-persona.

“The latter allows legal actions against a property and not an individual, especially in a situation of unclaimed property.

“This Act allows you to take up a forfeiture proceeding against a chattel who is not a juristic person. This is exactly what the Commission did in respect of the estate.”

Oyewale noted that the proceedings that yielded the final forfeiture of the estate were products of actionable intelligence available to the EFCC, adding that the company flagged by the anti-graft agency’s investigations denied ownership of the estate following publications made in leading national newspapers.

He stated: “On the basis of this, the Commission approached the court for an order of final forfeiture which Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court granted on Monday, December 2.

“It will be unprofessional of the EFCC to go to town by mentioning names of individuals whose identities were not directly linked to any title document of the properties.”

Oyewale urged Nigerians to gear up more against lapses and loopholes in the system that continue to make the nation vulnerable to corrupt tendencies.

He urged critics to focus on the systemic issues that allowed such corrupt activities to occur in the first place.

The Star