A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of property and cash, suspected to be proceeds of crime, linked to Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atawodi (retd.), and his wife, Winnie.
Justice Emeka Anwuli Chikere gave the judgment yesterday.
The property, measuring about 57,933.69 square metres, controlled by Vector Integrated Services Limited, is located at Number 3004 Cadastral Zone E05, Aviation Village District, Abuja.
The cash recovered are $228,428 and N120,546,042.02.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed an application pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No14, 2006 aginst the retired Air Force chief.
Justice Chikere held that the EFCC proved beyond reasonable doubt that the property and amount are proceeds of crime, as defined by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011.
The judge held that, in the absence of any objection to the notice of interim forfeiture published for interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be finally forfeited, the property and cash now belong to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Atawodi was a former Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS).
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