Court orders final forfeiture of five Lagos properties linked to ex-NAPL MD

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of five choice properties linked to a former Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) Major-General Umaru Mohammed to the Federal Government.

Justice Chukujekwu Aneke gave the final forfeiture order on Wednesday following a motion by the lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), A.O. Mohammed.

EFCC had told the court that investigations revealed that the properties were fraudulently misappropriated and the proceeds of the sale diverted for personal use.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture of the properties, Mohammed said that the Commission had complied with the order of the court regarding the publication.

“It will be in the interest of justice for the court to grant the prayers being sought and also order the final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government,” he said.

After listening to the submissions of the EFCC’ s counsel, the judge ordered the final forfeiture of the five properties to the Federal Government.

The properties, according to EFCC, are No.8b, Bedwell Road, Ikoyi; No.3, Force Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; No.14, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; No.6, Marina, Ikoyi, Lagos and No. 28, Point Road, Apapa, Lagos.

On March 4, 2024, the judge had ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity and also directed the publication of the order in a national newspaper for any interested person to show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.