Buhari’s ex-adviser, others forfeit N732m

Former special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Presidential Amnesty Programme has forfeited N732.85million to the Federal Government.

The forfeiture included money belonging to Brigadier-General Paul Tarela Boroh and 16 others.

Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the final forfeiture of the money.

EFCC believed the money was stolen from the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office by 17 persons joined in the suit.

The forfeiture includes a plot of land situated at Katsina Road by Ogbomosho Road, Kaduna North Local Government, worth N190 million, all believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

The EFCC was able to secure the final forfeiture, following the usage of non-conviction based forfeiture proceedings.

The 17 Respondents apart from Boroh are Hanafi Musa Moriki, Allotey Asari Edem, Joshua Ebiemeyefa.

Others are D. Wokoma, Bernard Ochoche, Cecilia Adebisi, Omofuma Faith, Olusegun Opeyemi Okungbure, Beggi Erepatei, Matti Abdul, Stella Nnamatti, Theresa Okoro, Chika Nsirim, Omonyemen Osunbor, Musa Odiringa, and Ode Martins Olajide.

Justice Tsoho had granted an interim forfeiture order on November 16, 2018, following the ex-parte application filed by the lawyer to the EFCC, Bar Abbah Mohammed.

The judge ordered EFCC to advertise the order in the newspapers for any interested party to show cause within 14 days on why the money should not be forfeited to the government.

Following successful prosecution, the judge consequently ordered that the monies and property be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

Investigations by the EFCC had uncovered the various sums of N124,000,000; N320,000,000; N68,768,916; N1,900,000; N5,125,000; N3,000,000; N28,595,755; N6,137,000; N40,000,000; N46,800,000; N16,315,000; N2,547,800; N3,900,000; N8,234,650; N6,800,000; N2,651,000, and N1,970,750 traced to the respondents, respectively.

The ex-parte motion was brought before the court, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006, and Section 44(2)(B)(K) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), seeking for an order of interim forfeiture of the said sum and property.

Boroh was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as special adviser of the Amnesty Programme in 2015.

He was sacked in March 2018.