JUST IN: Ekweremadu Floors EFCC As Court Quashes Forfeiture Order Against 40 Properties

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has set aside the interim forfeiture order on the properties of Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

THE WHISTLER reported that the judge had granted an interim forfeiture order against 40 properties linked to the former Deputy Senate President following an exparte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

EFCC’s counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, had told the court that the affected properties had traces of financial misappropriation.

But Ekweremadu’s son, Barrister Lloyd, had in his counter application filed before the Federal High Court through Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo SAN, accused the EFCC of commencing the action against his father in “bad faith”, adding that the lawmaker was still in detention in the United Kingdom over alleged organ harvesting to the knowledge and involvement of the antigraft agency.

Furthermore, the Anambra State government had raised alarm over the alleged inclusion of its property in the forfeiture order made against the deputy senate president by the EFCC.

In his ruling on Friday, Ekwo agreed with Awomolo that the EFCC’s application was borne out of bad faith against Ekweremadu.

“I have been asking myself the question repeatedly: How can a citizen of Nigeria who is incarcerated outside the country to the knowledge of the respondent, be expected to show cause in an action in Nigeria brought by the respondent?

“In other words, how do you help to tie down a man and initiate a fight and demand that the same man you have helped to tie down must defend himself?

“This in my opinion, is an unconscionable act. The act of the respondent clearly shows that this action was brought in bad faith.

“In law, bad faith entails dishonesty of belief or purpose,” Ekwo said.

Subsequently, the judge set aside his earlier orders, frowning on EFCC for hiding material facts of Ekweremadu’s detention in the Uk.

“Consequently, I make the following orders:

“An order is hereby made setting aside the interim forfeiture order of the properties of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his companies made by this court on 4th day of November, 2022, upon the ex-parte Originating Motion filed by the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 27 July, 2022.

“The entire proceeding initiated by the respondent is hereby set aside,” Ekwo held.