A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of N2.24 billion recovered from a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, to the Federal Government.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun gave the order on Tuesday following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 7, 2018.
The EFCC had said that the sum was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity.
The judge also ordered final forfeiture of N190,828,978.15k recovered by EFCC from a former Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Director of Finance and Budget, Olugbenga Gbadebo.
Mrs Olatoregun further ordered final forfeiture of N101 million recovered from Solomon Enterprises, a company linked to Mr Amosu.
The judge had earlier granted an interim order for forfeiture of the sums.
She directed the EFCC to publish the interim order in The Nation and Punch newspapers so that the respondents or anyone interested can show cause as to why the final order of forfeiture should not be made in favour of the Federal Government.
Amosu and an interested party, Air Vice Marshal Bolaji Adigun, had filed counter-applications, arguing that the funds were proceeds of their personal businesses and not from illegal activities.
At the resumed hearing, Olatoregun dismissed the applications, saying that they failed to provide the necessary facts.
“Upon examination of the two applications from the first respondent (Amosu) and the interested party, dated July 28, 2018, and asking that the interim orders be set aside, I found nothing to set aside the order.
“The affidavits filed disclosed no reason why the order of final forfeiture should not be made; the applications are hereby dismissed. The only conclusion I can reach is that these funds are proceeds of an unlawful activity,” Olatoregun ruled.
