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Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of N241m ‘Diverted SDG Funds’

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday ordered the interim forfeiture to the Federal Government N241milion allegedly diverted from the office of the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who made the order, also forfeited a property linked to the diversion – Real Tower Centre Shopping Complex at Plot 1121, Ekukinam Street, Utako District, Cadastral Zone, Abuja – to the Federal Government.

The judge’s order was sequel to an ex-parte application filed and argued by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo.

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Oyedepo told the judge the N241m was warehoused in two banks in the sums of N65million, N61million, N50million and N65million.

The EFCC said its intelligence showed that the Abuja property was purchased with funds furtively diverted from SDG, office of the SSA to the President where Mr. Abdulsalam Bawa is a Principal Accountant.

The EFCC fingered Bawa, as the key suspect, adding the diversion was perpetrated in grand conspiracy with some SDG staff.

It also linked three firms, Kouchdim Unity Nigeria Ltd and Lankass Global Ventures, to the diversion.

Justice Oweibo adjourned the suit marked FHC/L/CS/90/2021 till September 6, 2021 for final forfeiture proceedings.

Oyedepo’s application was backed by a four-page affidavit of urgency deposed to by an EFCC operative, Ebunoluwa Amusan.

Amusan averred he was assigned to investigate the “damning intelligence report received by the EFCC by some concerned citizens in respect of abuse of office, diversion of funds and monumental fraud perpetrated by some officers of the Sustainable Development Goals, office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President.”

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