N2bn Fraud: EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture Of N775m Linked To Otunla, Ex-account

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N2bn Fraud: EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture Of N775m Linked To Otunla, Ex-account

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has secured the final forfeiture of N775 million and landed properties linked to two former government officials.

The officials are listed as Jonah Otunla, a former accountant-general of the federation, and Bello Fadile, an aide to Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA).

The EFCC had, in 2017, filed money laundering charges against Otunla and Fadile, alleging that they were among beneficiaries of N2 billion received illegally from the office of the NSA in 2013.

In a statement on Monday, Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, said the forfeiture of the money and landed proterties was granted by D.U. Okorowo, a judge of a federal high court sitting in Abuja.

The commission listed the other properties forfeited to include “three properties located at No. 8 Ajayi Crowther Street, Asokoro, Abuja; a Plot of land at Plot 1960, Cadastral Zone A05, Maitama District, FCT, Abuja; a Hotel which is under construction with generating set, located at Plot 621, Road 37, Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja and a twin 4 bedroom duplex with guard quarters located at Plot 736, 7th Avenue Gwarimpa, FCT, Abuja”.

“The money and properties are the product of illicit activities of a former Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla, and Colonel Bello Fadile, aide to former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki,” the statement reads.

“Moving a motion for the final forfeiture of the assets today, Counsel to the EFCC, Christopher Mshelia, informed the court that the assets recovered by the Commission in the course of investigating contract fraud in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Sambo Dasuki, were proceeds of the unlawful activities Colonel Bello Fadile and Mr. Jonah Otunla.

The N775,000,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Seventy-five Million Naira) was refunded by Otunla and Otunba Ade Adelakun (late) during the investigation, whilst the landed properties sought to be forfeited are ‘reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity received, retained, concealed and converted by the respondents from the office of the National Security Adviser to the President’.

“The Commission had on July 20, 2020 secured an interim forfeiture order on the assets and also published the Order of the court on August 11, 2022, in Thisday Newspaper, for the respondent to show cause why the money and properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

“Justice Okorowo, in granting the final forfeiture, stated that the court was satisfied with the evidence before it and ordered the final forfeiture of the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”