The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering seizing apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos from Folashade Oke, wife of suspended Director-General Of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Amb. Ayo Oke, where over $43million taxpayers’ money was allegedly stashed away by those entrusted with it.
Apart from pushing for the final forfeiture of the seized cash, which the EFCC says no one has come forward to claim, a reliable EFCC source told the Nation that “the anti-graft commission will soon initiate moves to seize the apartment 7B in Osborne Towers in line with its mandate.
“The circumstances surrounding the purchase of the apartment have been faulted by this commission at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
“Therefore, we are set to invoke sections 26 and 28 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.”
“So, we are not only interested in the cash, we want to take over the apartment. But we are awaiting the decision of the committee being led by the Vice President.”
Section 26 reads in part: (1) “Any property subject to forfeiture under this Act may be seized by the Commission in the following circumstances – (a) the seizure incidental to an arrest or search; or (b) in the case of property liable to forfeiture upon process issued by the Court following an application made by the Commission in accordance with the prescribed rules.(2) Whenever property is seized under any of the provisions of this Act, the Commission may – (a) place the property under seal; or(b) remove the property to a place designed by the Commission.
“(3) Properties taken or detained under this section shall be deemed to be in the custody of the Commission, subject only to an order of a Court.
Section 28 reads: “Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.”
The EFCC had on Friday told the Federal High Court Lagos that Folashade Oke is the owner of Flat 7B, No. 13, Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, where the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 were recently recovered by its operatives. She had not denied the allegation.
The EFCC had tendered the receipt issued by Fine and Country Limited to Chobe Ventures Limited as an exhibit before the Federal High Court in Lagos, where the anti-graft agency is seeking an order of final forfeiture of the recovered money to the Government of Nigeria.
The Commission alleges that “Chobe Ventures Limited is a bogus company that is not into any business but was merely incorporated to retain proceeds of suspected unlawful activities of Mrs. Folashade Oke.”
Folashade Oke and her son Master Ayodele Oke Junior are directors of the said bogus company.
EFCC showed to the court that Mrs. Oke made a cash payment of $1.658m for the purchase of the flat between August 25 and September 3, 20115 in the name of a company.
The EFCC also disclosed that Mrs. Oke made the cash payment in tranches of $700,000, $650,000 and $353,700 to a Bureau de Change company, Sulah Petroleum and Gas Limited, which later converted the sums into N360,000,000 and then paid it to Fine and Country Limited for the purchase of the property.
The presidential panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, which is probing Mrs. Oke’s suspended husband, is expected to submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
It is understood that lobbyists are pushing for a safe landing for Amb. Oke, who they said has been an outstanding career diplomat and having, initiated and played a pivotal role, as a mere desk officer at the Nigerian Embassy in London, in the recovering of some of the famous Abacha loot.
It is been lobbied that he should not be disgraced out of service. Some in Buhari’s Kitchen cabinet favour that Amb. Oke should not be humiliated out of office. They said he should either be allowed to go on voluntary retirement or compulsorily retired, a source said.
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