EFCC Arraigns Five Individuals for Alleged Tampering with Forfeited Property in Lagos
The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, arraigned Benjamin Okoye, Moughalu David Arinze, Okey Okeke, Ekene Mgbeokwere, and Eboh Thaddeus before Justice A.O. Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on a one-count charge of tampering with forfeited property.
The charge reads: “That you, Ilongwo Angela (currently at large), Benjamin Okoye, Moughalu David Arinze, Okey Okeke, Ekene Mgbeokwere, and Eboh Thaddeus, sometime in July 2024 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without due authorization, dealt with the property of Obinna Ezenwaka located at Plot 165C, Block 12, Amuwo Odofin, Ajayi Street, Diamond Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, which was subject to interim forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 32(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
In response to the pleas, prosecution counsel Hannatu U. KofarNaisa informed the court that a witness was present and ready to proceed with the trial.
Counsel for the first to fourth defendants, M.C. Odo, informed the court that bail applications were pending for the accused and requested that they be heard. N. Chukwuemeka, representing the fifth defendant, stated that a prior bail had already been granted to his client.
Odo further requested that the defendants be admitted to bail, noting that they had been in custody for some time. However, KofarNaisa responded that she had not yet received the bail applications from the defence and that they were not before the court, a fact confirmed by the court’s records.
After hearing from both sides, Justice Owoeye adjourned the case to January 24, 2025, for a ruling on the bail applications.
The prosecution then called Abubakar Mohammed, an EFCC operative, to present the facts of the case. Mohammed, who serves as the custodian of forfeited assets, testified that he was involved in inspecting the property in question.
He explained: “I met the defendants during the inspection of Plot 165C, Block 12, Diamond Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos. The EFCC had obtained an interim forfeiture order for the property, and the Proceeds of Crime Management Unit had marked it with the EFCC’s notice. On July 22, 2024, I led a team to inspect the property and informed the defendants that it had been forfeited. I asked them to vacate, and after some resistance, they left, and the house was secured under lock and key.”
However, Mohammed testified that when he conducted a routine check on July 29, 2024, he discovered that the defendants had broken the padlock and were still occupying the property. Following this, the defendants were arrested for tampering with the forfeited asset.
He also identified the interim forfeiture order, which had been secured by the EFCC on October 6, 2017, and confirmed it as an exhibit (Exhibit A). When questioned further about the property, he noted that there was an additional order from the Lagos State High Court regarding the final forfeiture of the property.
KofarNaisa requested an adjournment to allow for the presentation of additional documents related to the case.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter to February 14, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
