Forfeited Property: Court Chides EFCC For ‘Oppressive’ Treatment Of Abia APC Chieftain

An FCT High Court presided by Justice Abubakar Musa has delivered a judgement in favour of Chief Ikechi Emenike, a former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a case of forfeited properties located at No. 6 Aso Drive, Abuja–a 5-bedroom duplex with a 2-room boys quarters.

According to court documents obtained by THE WHISTLER, the presiding judge described the EFCC’s attempt to eject Emenike from the property and deny him right of first refusal for the purchase of the property was “oppressive, unfair, unlawful, illegal, inequitable…”

Recall THE WHISTLER had earlier obtained exclusive court documents directing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede and Aliyu Yusuf, Head, Proceeds of Crime Unit at the EFCC for disobeying court order to unseal the property and prevent forceful eviction of Emenike.

THE WHISTLER gathered that Emenike had offered to buy the property as the current occupier, but the EFCC refused and sent operatives to block all entries to the property.

The court later vacated the order for Olukoyede’s arrest after the EFCC Chairman showed up in court.

Chief Emenike had requested the court to grant an injunction compelling the EFCC to allow him exercise the right of first refusal to purchase the property.

In its judgement, the court said the Chief Emenike if entitled to the right of first refusal, and condemned EFCC’s actions.

“The moves sought by the defendant to dispose the property under guise of setting same aside for public use without allowing the Claimant who is the sitting tenant to exercise the right of first refusal which is an implied term in the contract of tenancy is oppressive, unfair, unlawful , illegal, inequitable And pro tanto null, void and of no effect whatsoever as those moves by the Defendant run against the spirit and letters of section 31(2) of the EFCC Establishment act 2004 and section 4(b) of the Proceeds of Crime recovery and management act 2002 Which makes provisions of the disposal Of the forfeited property,” said the court.