Court Orders Permanent Forfeiture Of Properties, Money Of Naval Officers Over N138m Fraud
Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the permanent forfeiture of two properties located in the Lekki area of the state, belonging to two Naval officers, Captain Olotu olumuyiwa Morakinyo and Captain Ebony Emmanuel Aneke to the federal government.
The judge also ordered the final forfeiture to the government the sum of N11,040,000 found in the account of a limited liability Company Lakewood Garden Ventures limited suspected to be a proceed of unlawful activity.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had through it counsel Rotimi Oyedepo filed the application against the two military officers, who served at different times as Maritime Guard Commander, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA).
The third respondent, Lakewood, is a company jointly owned by the second respondent, Aneke, and his sister, Jimmie Aneke.
The court had, on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties and the money.
The properties forfeiting to the Federal Government are: a three- bedroom terrace duplex at Lekki Gardens Limited Estate and a five-bedroom duplex at Lekki, Lagos State recovered by the Commission from the second respondent.
The anti-graft agency had in an affidavit attached to the application and disposed to by one of its operative, Idris Adamu, claimed that the EFCC received intelligence report for the case of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering against the two Naval officers, who were posted to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as maritime Guard Commander from September 2011 to September 2015.
The EFCC claimed that Lakewood Garden Ventures is a Company jointly owned by Captain Aneke and his sister Jimmie Aneke while the committee of Antipiracy Logistics account was opened and maintain by the Maritime Guard Command of NIMASA.
Adamu maintained in the affidavit that Captain Morakinyo received monies from the people listed below : Yahaya Kanawa -N3,800,000,Maigai Intergrated limited N4,650,000,Capital Providers limited -N8,000,000.,Crescent Pillars Investment limited N18,000,000.,
And that the military officer converted the sum of N6,500,000 meant for the construction of a communication Centre for Maritime Guard command, and that monies totalling N40,950,000 property of NIMASA were received through his personal account domicile at Access bank Plc.
Adamu also claimed that Captain Morakinyo used the proceeds of the crime highlighted above to acquire a three bedroom Terrace Duplex located at Lekki Gardens Limited Phase 4 Ajah -Lekki, while he also used the account of his wife Rhoda Olotu to launder part of the monies used in buying the property.
While Captain Aneke was alleged to have at various times received monies from Crescent Pillars Investment limited, totalling N55,905,100 and through his Access bank account and another N30milion from Seabulk Offshore limited through his Diamond bank account.
Captain Aneke was alleged to have used the proceeds of the fraud to acquire a 5-bedroom Duplex in Lekki Lagos.
According to Adamu, many witnesses who were privy to the transactions were invited and they made voluntary statements to the EFCC, adding that Captain Aneke’s sister Jumie Aneke refunded to the Commission the total sum of N11,040,000.
