Court Orders Forfeiture of 40 Assets Traced to Ike Ekweremadu

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday gave permission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to temporarily seize 40 properties traced to former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.

The order comes as Ekweremadu is being held in the United Kingdom for allegedly trying to harvest David Nwamini’s kidney for their ailing daughter.

The judge, Inyang Ekwo, handed down the interim forfeiture order for his properties after hearing an ex-parte application filed by the EFCC.

An EFCC lawyer, Ibrahim Buba, moved the application for the confiscation of the assets, saying they were suspicious proceeds of crime.

The lawyer told the judge that the landed properties comprise 15 in Abuja, 10 in Enugu (Ekweremadu’s home state), one in Lagos, two in the United Kingdom, three in the United States, and nine in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The EFCC claimed the assets were allegedly acquired with proceeds of fraud.

Ruling on the application, Ekwo granted the application and ordered the EFCC to, within seven days from the date of the order, publish the interim forfeiture order of the assets in a national daily.

This is to enable whoever has interest in the assets to approach the court give to convince the court not to issue an order of permanent forfeiture to the federal government.

In a statement issued by the EFCC after Friday’s proceedings, the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, cited a report of investigation giving more details about the case and Ekweremadu’s assets involved.

According to the statement, Afeez Mustapha, an investigator with EFCC, who deposed to an affidavit in support of the commission’s application, disclosed that the former Deputy Senate President was being investigated for money laundering.

Mustapha said the commission received intelligence from “some foreign entities on suspicion of money laundering involving the acquisition of several properties in the United Kingdom, Dubai and the United States of America through proxies and unregistered companies”.

The schedule of properties attached to the forfeiture application listed properties allegedly acquired by Ekweremudu “with funds not supported by his legitimate income”.

The properties, according to the commission, include a London property at Flat 4, Varsity Court, Hormer Street ( WIH4NW) which was acquired on December 4, 2008, for £830,000; three properties in Florida, United States, one of which was purchased for $155,000 USD.

Also listed is a property on approximately 3000 square meter parcel of land consisting of 7 bedroom detached Boys Quarters, swimming pool, enclosed 3 car garage with roller shutter doors, gate house and generator house at No.6 Ilado Close, Ikoyi, Lagos bought for N630million on August 8, 2015.

The list also includes three blocks of six flats each, totalling 18 luxury flats at Plot 904 Durumi, Abuja acquired for N700 million, and four Rootown House at Villa No. 148 Maeeni the Lahes Emirate Hill Dubai valued at $250,00 USD.

In the organ harvesting case, the prosecutors said the Ekweremadus were charged with bringing a 15-year-old boy from Nigeria to the UK with the claim that he was to be given a better life in the UK but was actually to harvest his organ for their ailing daughter.

But the couple, who have been denied bail and face charges of organ trafficking in London, had insisted that Mr Nwanini was 21 years old.

While Ekweremadu remains in custody, it was reported that a London Court has adjourned his case until May 2023.