Court orders top bank to forfeit unclaimed N157bn to FG

– EFCC tells the Federal High Court in Lagos that the sum of N157bndeposited in a top bank is suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities

– The anti-graft agency states that since no one has come to claim ownership of the money, the funds should be forfeited to the federal government

Heritage Bank Plc has been ordered by the Federal High Court in Lagos to forfeit the sum of N157bn recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the federal government.

The court judgment delivered on Tuesday, November 13, was in respect to a suit filed by the EFCC against Heritage Bank Plc and Secure Electronics Technology Limited.

Sahara Reporters states that during the proceedings, the anti-graft agency told the court that the funds were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

“The persons in whose possession the funds were found are not laying claim to them and surrendered them for forfeiture,” Iheanacho Ekene, counsel to the EFCC told the court.

The EFCC, following a court order in August, had published in newspapers for anyone interested in the money to show up in court to prove why it should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

After the failure of any one to come forward and claim ownership of the funds, the counsel to the EFCC told the court that the publication order had been complied with and urged Justice Chuka Obiozor to order that the funds be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The judge then ordered the permanent forfeiture of the unclaimed money to the federal government as there was no opposing application to that effect.

Meanwhile, Senator Hope Uzodinma, on Tuesday, November 13, defied invitation by the special presidential investigation panel for recovery of public property to him to appear and answer questions over alleged fraud against him.

Spokesperson of the panel, Lucie-Ann Laha, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja late on Tuesday after a long wait by the panel’s officials and newsmen for the senator.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Uzodinma was on Sunday, November 11, arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the police at the instance of the panel. He was arrested in connection of a case on alleged failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for the dredging of Calabar Port channel.