Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of 48 Properties Linked to Ex-NSTIF

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, ordered the interim forfeiture of 48 choice properties, allegedly belonging to the former Chairman of Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Funds, NSITF, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme.

The affected properties are spread across, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Bayelsa, Enugu, Edo, and Delta states.

Dr. Olejeme who was also the Treasurer of the Jonathan-Sambo Campaign Organisation in 2015 has been on the run since 2016 and was in September 2017, declared wanted by the EFCC for criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

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She was alleged to have, along with Mr. Umar Munir Abubakar, former managing director of NSITF, mismanaged and diverted over N69billion, belonging to the Federal Government into their personal accounts through the award of spurious contracts to proxy companies.

The forfeiture order was granted after counsel to the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, convinced the court that the said properties were purchased with proceeds of crime. He buttressed his position with 14 exhibits, attached to his affidavit, filed on May 29, 2020.

In granting the application, Justice Taiwo ruled that the interim order should be published in a leading newspaper within seven days of receipt of the order…