Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has upheld the forfeiture of $13 million to the Federal Government, funds linked to Lagos socialite Aisha Achimugu and her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Nwite ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sufficiently established that the foreign currency constituted proceeds of fraud and other unlawful activities.
The ruling came in response to a suit filed by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, which sought to reclaim the funds. The court found that the company failed to demonstrate how it legitimately acquired the $13 million.
Justice Nwite dismissed claims that the money represented gifts to the company through Aisha Achimugu, noting that Achimugu herself did not appear in court to explain why the funds should not be forfeited. The judge further highlighted that none of the alleged donors of the $13 million were called to testify.
The court held that the applicants did not meet the burden of proving genuine ownership of the funds or provide evidence of business transactions that could justify receiving such a large sum. Justice Nwite concluded that the EFCC had met all requirements to classify the funds as proceeds of fraud, making their forfeiture to the Federal Government lawful.
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What a shame!