Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of Abuja Properties Linked To Alleged N777m Fraud

Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of two multimillion-naira properties in Abuja allegedly purchased with proceeds from a fraudulent transaction involving a purported land allocation scheme.

Justice Dipeolu granted the order yesterday after an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in suit No. FHC/LAG/644/2026.
The properties comprise a three-bedroom bungalow at Plot D061, Magoro Drive, Phase 2, City View Estate, Dakwo District, Abuja, and a 4.2-hectare parcel of land at Plots MF 2344, 1980A, 1981A and 1979A, Sabon Lugbe East Extension, Abuja.

The properties were linked to Adeseun Adeniyi Olakunle, who allegedly claimed to be a deputy director with the Lagos State government and Omotosho Abraham Aremu.

The EFCC, through its counsel, Chinyere Okezie, had urged the judge to grant the final forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

The application was supported by an affidavit sworn by an EFCC investigator, Ahmed Bello, following a petition from Bolaji Ayorinde Law LLP against Olakunle and Aremu over allegations of obtaining by false pretence and stealing.

Bello claimed that the suspects allegedly approached the complainant in 2025 with a purported presidential-backed and federally sanctioned land allocation scheme involving about 30,134,189 square metres of land in Maroko, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

He further alleged that the suspects falsely claimed direct connections with the Presidency and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, and that they could secure a federal allocation of the land.

The commission also alleged that Olakunle identified himself as a Deputy Director with the Lagos State Government and displayed a government identity card to support the claim.

The EFCC said that, based on these alleged representations, the complainant transferred N1.5 million on August 19, 2025, N15 million on August 28, 2025, and N735 million on September 8, 2025, to the suspects.

The anti-graft agency said its investigation traced N145 million to Nwadije Tracy Otite on September 16, 2025, for the purchase of the Abuja bungalow.

It also alleged that the EFCC traced another N100 million to NCR and Associates Ltd on October 9, 2025, allegedly for acquiring the second property.

The Commission further stated it invited the recipients of the funds during the investigation, who allegedly confirmed that the properties belonged to the respondents.

The EFCC investigator said Justice Dipeolu had previously granted an interim forfeiture order over the properties on June 17, 2026, directing the EFCC to publish the order so interested parties could show cause why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

The EFCC said it later published the order in The Guardian newspaper on July 3, 2026.

The commission told the court that the respondents filed no objection or challenge after the interim forfeiture order was published.

Okezie therefore urged the court to make the interim forfeiture order absolute in the interest of justice.

After listening to the lawyer, the filed processes and the cited legal authorities, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.

The judge granted the application as prayed and ordered the final forfeiture of the two Abuja properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.