Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of Herbalist Property In Kwara

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A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, Tuesday, ordered the temporary forfeiture of a four-bedroom bungalow situated at Oke Foma, Ilorin West Local Government, owned by a 36-year-old herbalist, Jamiu Isiaka.

The Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had on June 10, 2019, arraigned the troubled herbalist for allegedly defrauding a Korean national, Keun Sig Kim and impersonating some top government officials including the then managing director of NNPC, Dr Makanti Baru, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina, and the National Commissioner of INEC, Mrs Aminat Zakari among others.

Moving the application seeking the interim forfeiture, Counsel to the applicant, Andrew Akoja said, “My Lord, our motion is brought pursuant to Section 6, 7, and 29 of the EFCC Act of 2004, Section 335 of the Kwara state Administration of Criminal Justice law of 2018 and Section 46 of the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, 1999.”

“An order of this honorable court granting an interim forfeiture of the assets and properties set out in the schedule attached.

“An order stopping any disposal, conveyance, mortgage,lease,sale or alienation or otherwise tempering with the properties/assets described in the schedule.”

The EFCC lawyer also asked the court presided over by Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar to authorize the commission to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the property.

The affidavit deposed to by one Musa Sanni, an operative of the anti-graft agency, said, ” the respondent Jamiu Isiaka told his victim that certain certificates would be presented to him from NNPC.”

Justice Abdulgafar, after listening to the prosecution granted the application and ordered the interim forfeiture of the property.

While adjourning the case till March 19, 2020, he ordered that the interim order should be published in a national daily newspaper.