By Desire Emmanuel
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in the Apo, Abuja, on Thursday, July 16, granted the final forfeiture of properties linked to a business woman, Ms Aisha Achimugu, to the Federal Government.
Achimugu is also an associate of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The properties to be forfeited by her included jewellery worth N4.645 billion, eleven exotic cars worth N4.293 billion, $50,000 and N30 million cash.
Justice Jude Onwugbuzie granted the order in a judgment on the application for final forfeiture of the properties by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It will be recalled that Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, March 25, granted an order of final forfeiture of the sum of $13 million linked to Achimugu and her Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, to the Federal Government.
The EFCC, dragged Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd before the court regarding the ownership of $13m suspected to be proceeds of fraud and unlawful activities.
Delivering judgment in a suit instituted by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd to claim the funds, Justice Nwite held that the company failed to establish how it came about the money.
He, however, stressed that the EFCC succeeded in convincing the court that the funds are proceeds of fraud and should be forfeited to the government.
The judge dismissed the claims that the $13 million was gifts received into the Oceangate Engineering Company by Aisha Achimugu, adding that the said Aisha never showed up in court to show cause why the funds should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Additionally, Justice Nwite said that no single person who gave the monetary gifts to Achimugu to the tune of $13 million was called to testify.
