TECHNOCRAT MEDIA, Abuja
An Abuja Federal High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of N110.4m proceeds of crime traced to Mr James Erebuoye and seven other suspects by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
ICPC said Raheem Adesina on behalf of the Commission had filed an ex-parte motion before Justice D. Okorowa, praying for an order to interim forfeiture of a Toyota Lexus Jeep and a Toyota Venza car, including an Ipad device.
According to ICPC, the properties were seized from Mr Erebuoye and others who were alleged to have benefited from over N500 million illicit funds domiciled in the bank account of a primary school teacher, Mrs Roseline Uche Egbula.
The school teacher, Mrs Egbuha, who teaches at Ozala Primary School, Abagana, Anambra State, was arrested by the Commission in June 2020 for allegedly laundering N550 million.
ICPC said it discovered that N110,364,592.4 was surreptitiously moved sometime in 2020, from the said account of Mrs Egbula who was under investigation for money laundering and other frauds, into different accounts in which Mr Erebuoye and eight others were the owners, including two companies.
The commission further stated that the money to be forfeited includes N17.4 million transferred to the bank account of Mr Erebuoye, another N14.2 million to an account belonging to Mr Ojo Alonge, N16.4 million to a company whose name is DY Bako and Sons Ltd, and also, N30.8 million to another company, Dorason Construction Ltd.
The order also covers the sums of N7.1 million traced to an account in the name of Owoyemi Mayowa, N8.2 million, and N6.5 million traced to Emon Aje Okune and Maureen Chidinma bank accounts respectively, ICPC said.