EFCC sued over N13bn discovered in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been sued over the N13billion that it discovered at Osbourne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos state.

According to The Punch, the EFCC was dragged before a Federal High Court in Lagos by an activist lawyer Olukoya Ogungbeje.

Ogungbeje wants the court to suspend action on the forfeiture application filed by the anti-corruption agency until the EFCC has found out the owner of the money.

Ogungbeje is praying that the court order the EFCC to provide a report of its preliminary or final investigation on ownership of the monies and how the funds got into the building.

snapshots of the N13bn found in Apartment 7B at Osbourne Towers in Ikoyi

He also urged the court to order the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as well as the police force to start a thorough investigation of the recovered funds.

Ogungbeje said: “This honourable court has the inherent jurisdiction under Section 6 (6)(b) of the Constitution to order and direct thorough investigation of the sources of the monies, their owners, the owners of the Osborne Towers where the monies were found and how they got into the building.

“A thorough and transparent investigation of the monies will strengthen the anti-corruption crusade.

“Nigerians are interested in the sources, owners of the monies, owners of the building and how the monies got into Osborne Residential apartment.”

In a ruling on Thursday, April 13 afternoon, Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered that the funds be handed over to the Federal Government for now.

The judge then adjourned the matter till May 5, 2017 for anyone who wants to claim the funds and give reasons why it should not be permanently forfeited to the government to show up before him.