$11m Cyber Fraud: Court Orders Invictus To Forfeit N280m

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent for feiture to the Federal Government the N280,555,010.65 found in bank accounts belonging to two companies owned by ‘Forbes entrepreneur’ Obinwanne Okeke also known as Invictus Obi.
The companies are Invictus Oil and Gas Ltd and Invictus Investment Limited.
Okeke is standing trial in the United States of American for an alleged $11million cyber fraud following his indictment alongside 77 Nigerians.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa made the order sequel to a motion for final forfeiture filed and agued by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo.
The judge had on October 9 granted an interim forfeiture of the funds, and ordered EFCC to publish the interim order to enable any interested parties to show cause why the final order should not be made.
At the resumed hearing, yesterday, Oyedepo informed the court that all requirements for final forfeiture had been met, including publication of the interim order which was done in the Nation Newspaper of October 25.
He prayed the court to grant the application for final forfeiture because “there is no opposition to the request from anybody.”
He said Justice Aikawa had the power to make the interim forfeiture order by virtue of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Fraud Offence Act No. 14, 2006.
Granting his prayer in a bench ruling, Justice Aikawa ordered that the sum of N280.5million in two Zenith Bank accounts no 3341692012 and 1013714256 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“I have seen the application seeking for the final forfeiture of the sum of N280.5million where housed in the two bank accounts which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.