News

Judge Orders Forfeiture Of Diezani’s $153m To FG

Published

9 years ago

February 17, 2017

Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a sum of $153,310,000, which was said to have been diverted from the coffers of the Nigerian Nationalý Petroleum Corporation by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The judge ordered that the money should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had traced the money to three commercial banks in the country where it was kept in the sums of N23,446, 300,000, N9,080,000,000 and $5m.
The anti-graft agency had on January 6, 2016, approached Justice Hassan with an ex parte application, wherein it stated that the money was proceeds of criminal activity and urged the judge to make an order to forfeit it to the Federal Government temporary.
The judge had granted the interim forfeiture order and gave 14 days for anyone interested in the money to appear before him to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
When the case was heard on January 24, 2017, no one came to court to claim ownership of the N23,446, 300,000 and the $5m.
But the Executive Director, Public Sector Accountant, First Bank Plc, Mr. Dauda Lawal, who was joined as the second respondent in the suit, appeared in court through his lawyer, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips, to claim the N9,080,000,000.
Adeogun-Phillips had told the judge that the EFCC misrepresented facts in urging the court to order the forfeiture of the N9,080,000,000 belonging to his client as proceeds of crime.
He said his client was arrested by the EFCC and was coerced by operatives of the anti-graft agency to sign an undertaking to make a refund N9.08bn to the Federal Government as a condition for his release.
He said his client had to run around and raise the money from associates.
He urged the judge to order the release of the money to his client.
In his judgment yesterday, however, Justice Hassan said he found from the exhibits presented before the court that Lawal was not coerced but he voluntarily elected to make the undertaking after he had been duly cautioned and even in the presence of Charles-Adeogun, who also appended his signature on the undertaking made by his client that it was voluntarily made.
He, therefore, ordered the permanent forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.
The judge held, “I hereby make an order pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2016, for final forfeiture of the unclaimed sum of N23, 426, 300.000 and five million United States dollars to the Federal government finally.
“In respect of the second respondent, learned counsel, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips, informed the court that the second respondent filed a counter affidavit on why the sum of N9.08bn should not be forfeited.
“I have carefully examined the affidavit evidence before the court and I find that the second respondent was duly cautioned in English language before his statement was taken and so, I hold that same was taken without any evidence of inducement.
“On the whole, I am satisfied that all the conditions stated in Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related offense Act was duly fulfilled by the applicant.
“I accordingly make the following orders:
“An order for the final forfeiture of the sum of N23, 426, 300.000.00, being unclaimed property, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“An order of final forfeiture is also made for the sum of N9.08bn recovered from the second respondent, to the Federal Government of Nigeria, this is my judgment,” he said.
Responding to the judgment, the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, thanked the judge and said the Federal Government would use it for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Justice Hassan thanked the EFCC counsel in turn for the good work the agency was doing and urged the government to ensure that the money was used for the benefits of all citizens.
The judge also commended Adeogun-Phillips for the courage to show up on behalf of his client to claim the money.
“After all, you were the only one who showed up,” the judge said.

News

Troops Rescue 12 Abducted Teenage Girls In Borno

Published

32 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, yesterday, the Nigerian Army said the victims who were rescued on Saturday, had been evacuated to a secure facility where they are receiving comprehensive medical care, psychological support and debriefing.

“Upon completion of these processes, they will be formally reunited with their families. Their recovery has brought immense relief to the community, which had been gripped by fear following the abduction,” it added.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Army has successfully rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Borno State.”

According to the statement, the victims, aged between 15 and 20, were kidnapped on 23 November while harvesting crops on their family farmlands.

They were freed on Saturday, 29 November, following a swift, intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the southern Borno axis, it noted.

The statement listed the rescued victims as: Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15) and Hauwa Hamidu (17).

It further stated that the military high command commended the doggedness of the troops for their swift response, and acknowledged the crucial support of security stakeholders and local informants whose timely intelligence enabled the successful rescue.

“Troops continue to pursue ISWAP remnants across southern Borno to prevent further attacks and safeguard civilians.”

“The Nigerian Army calls on communities to continue supporting ongoing operations by providing credible and timely information, emphasising that collaborative efforts are essential to defeating terrorism and ensuring lasting security,” the statement concluded.

News

NELFUND Disburses N140bn Loan To 788,947 Students

Published

51 minutes ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) said it has disbursed N140.9 billion in student loans to beneficiaries since the scheme’s portal was launched on May 24, 2024.

According to the Daily Status Report released yesterday via its official X handle, NELFUND has received 1,193,228 applications, of which 788,947 students have benefited from the programme.

As of November 12, 2025, the report shows 35,773 new successful applications for the week and 3,367 on that day, representing a 0.3% increase in new applications from the previous day.

NELFUND said it has paid N140,884,471,740 to 262 institutions as tuition fees, including N88,947,000 as institutional fees and N53,776,000,000 in upkeep allowances.

The fund plans to extend its student loan scheme to cover vocational and skills acquisition programmes.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, saying the extension aligns with the Federal Government’s broader education and skills development agenda.

He added that the move reflects President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive human capital development beyond traditional university education.

According to Sawyerr, Nigeria’s next phase of development requires a balance between academic and technical competence.

“At NELFUND, we have a mandate to also support vocational skills.

“We have not started yet, but I know that the President Bola Tinubu administration has ensured that there is full coverage around the skills issue,” he said.

News

SERAP Sues Akpabio, Abbas Over N18.6bn NASS Funds

Published

1 hour ago

December 1, 2025

The Tide

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, over their alleged failure to account for ?18.6bn reportedly allocated for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission office complex.

SERAP filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja last week, naming Akpabio and Abbas as defendants on behalf of all members of the National Assembly, and joining the NASC as a respondent.

In a statement signed yesterday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP said the suit followed “grave allegations” contained in the 2022 annual report of the Auditor-General of the Federation, published on September 9, 2025.

Citing details from the Auditor-General’s report, SERAP said the NASC “paid over N11.6 billion [N11,647,302,594.00] to ‘an unknown construction company’ for ‘the construction of the Commission’s Complex within 24 months.’

“The payment was reportedly made on 11 August 2020. But ‘the contract was inflated by over N6.9 billion [N6,930,000,000.00]’ and the money was reportedly paid to the construction company on 29 November 2023 ‘for the conversion of the roof garden to office space.’

“The contract was reportedly awarded without a Bill of Quantity (BOQ) for the upward review of the contract, and the ‘BOQ for the contract of N11.6 billion was not priced.’

“Both contracts were reportedly awarded without any needs assessment, newspaper advertisements, bidding process, contract agreement, bidders’ quotations, or any approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). There was also no Bureau of Public Procurement Certificate of ‘No Objection’.”

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General fears the N18.6 billion budgeted for the construction of the Commission’s office complex and the conversion of the roof garden to office space “may have been diverted, misappropriated or stolen” and wants the money accounted for.

SERAP, in the suit filed by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, is seeking an order of mandamus compelling Akpabio, Abbas and the NASC to “account for the whereabouts of ?18.6bn meant for the construction of the NASC office complex.”

The organisation is also asking the court to compel the respondents to disclose the name of the “fictitious construction company” that allegedly received the funds, as well as make public the assessment reports, bid advertisements, bid quotations, contract documents, minutes of Tender Board meetings and the Federal Executive Council approval for the project.

SERAP argued that the alleged diversion or misappropriation of the ?18.6bn amounts to a violation of public trust, the 1999 Constitution and international anti-corruption standards.

“Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the ?18.6bn and details of the contractors that collected the money,” it said, noting that granting the orders sought would “serve legitimate public interests” and strengthen democratic institutions.

The suit stated that the National Assembly must “uphold and defend the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.”

SERAP argued that granting its reliefs would ensure accountability, enable the recovery of any diverted funds and promote public trust.

The organisation cited various constitutional provisions that require public institutions to prevent corrupt practices, manage national resources responsibly and safeguard the welfare of citizens.

It also referenced Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

The legal action comes after SERAP had earlier, on October 19, urged both Akpabio and Abbas to explain the alleged missing funds.