Court Orders Return Of Saraki's Houses
A Federal High Court in Lagos has reversed it’s order of forfeiture granted to the federal government over two houses in Ilorin belonging to former senate president, Bukola Saraki.
Giving the order on Thursday, Justice Rilwan Silas’s, said there is no sufficient basis in the EFCC application for the permanent forfeiture of Mr Saraki’s houses.
The judge, in December 2019, granted an interim forfeiture of Mr Saraki’s houses located at plot No. 10 and 11 Abdulkadir road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State, through an exparte motion filed by the EFCC.
The EFCC had claimed that the houses were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities allegedly perpetrated by Saraki while he was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
In its application, the EFCC had told the court how it received and investigated ” a damning intelligence report, showing monumental fraud perpetrated in the treasury of the Kwara State Government between 2003 and 2011,” while Saraki was the governor of the state.
Justice Aikawa, while delivering a judgement on EFCC’s application for permanent forfeiture, upheld the earlier judgement and ordered the release of the properties on grounds that the motion lacked basis.
On June 9, Justice Mohammed Liman had also refused an application by the EFCC seeking final forfeiture of Saraki’s properties in Lagos State.
