Court Orders Forfeiture of University, Hotel, Other Properties Linked to Ex-Senior FG Official
- A former senior government official in the Ministry of Health, Anthony Hassan, is on the verge of losing some properties linked to him
- This is as a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties which include the physical assets of NOK University in Kaduna
- The properties were suspected to have been acquired by Hassan, a former Director of Finance and Accounts in the Federal Ministry of Health, from proceeds of unlawful activities
FCT, Abuja - A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, June 1, ordered the interim forfeiture of every asset of NOK University, based in Kaduna.
According to a statement released by the EFCC, the university, built by a former Director of Finance and Accounts, DFA, in the Federal Ministry of Health, Anthony Hassan, was suspected to have been built from the proceeds of unlawful activities traced to its owner.
Source: Facebook
The statement sighted by Legit.ng on the commission's Facebook page partly reads:
"Hassan, who was a DFA in the ministry between 2016 and 2019 allegedly built the University through fraudulent means.
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"Physical assets of the University forfeited include Senate building, ICT building, Faculty of Medicine building, Science Deanery building, two Academic buildings, a Faculty Hall and other buildings.
"Other properties traced to Hassan which are also forfeited in the interim are Gwasmyen Water Factory, Gwasmyen Event Center and Gwasmyen International Hotel in Kaduna."
Interim forfeiture: Court rules on EFCC's ex-parte motion
Legit.ng gathers that Justice Zainab Abubakar, gave the interim forfeiture order while ruling on a motion ex-parte brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Counsel to the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho told the court that the EFCC sought the order “pursuant to Section 44(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and under the inherent Jurisdiction of the Honorable Court”.
The commission through her investigative Officer, Adaora Asabe Oragudosi investigated some verified intelligence bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering against some staff of the Federal Ministry of Health where the properties ordered forfeited were traced to the defendant.
In the ruling, the court directed that the interim forfeiture order be published in the National dailies, alerting anyone with interest in the properties to show cause, within 14 days, why it should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Abubakar adjourned till October 5, 2022, for mention of the matter.
Former APC governor arrested over accountant-general’s N80 billion probe
In another report, the EFCC has arrested a former governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari.
Yari's arrest was in connection with the anti-graft agency’s ongoing investigation of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
Legit.ng gathered that the former governor was arrested on Sunday, May 29, at his residence in Abuja days after he won the ruling APC’s ticket for Zamfara West senatorial election holding in 2023.
Source: Legit.ng
