The former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has got a court order vacating an interim forfeiture of 40 properties against him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo vacated the order on the ground the EFCC concealed information while obtaining the order on behalf of the Federal Government against the embattled Deputy Senate President in detention at the UK for alleged organ trafficking.
The judge held that the EFCC which was aware that Ekweremadu was in custody in the UK did not make the information available to the court.
The judge therefore agreed with the counsel to Ekweremadu, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, that there was no way the former Deputy Senate President would be able put up a defence on his ownership of the disputed properties from detention in the UK.
The Court, had earlier ordered an interim forfeiture of 40 landed properties belonging to the detained lawmaker. The order was made on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
Ekweremadu is currently in custody in the United Kingdom, over allegation of organ harvesting.
Justice Ekwo, made the order following an ex-parte motion marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 filed and moved by Ibrahim Buba on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a short ruling on the exparte motion, the Judge ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the interim forfeiture order of the properties in a national daily within seven days from the date the order was given.
Justice Ekwo specifically asked anybody interested in the properties covered by the interim forfeiture order to indicate within 14 days of the publication of the interim forfeiture order of the court.
Justice Ekwo adjourned till Dec. 5, 2022, for a report, if there is any objection from any member of the public regarding the properties.
The interim forfeiture order covers 10 Ekweremadu’s properties in Enugu, three in the United States of America (USA), two in the United Kingdom (UK), one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, and 15 located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
