EFFORTS by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for former Senate President, Bukola Saraki to permanently forfeit his two houses to the Federal Government has met a brick wall.
At the Federal High Court, Lagos on Thursday, Justice Rilwan Aikawa reversed the order forfeiting the houses to Federal Government.
Delivering judgement on an application by the EFCC seeking to permanently forfeit the houses to the Federal Government, Justice Rilwan said he found no sufficient basis in the EFCC application and he could not “find my way through” to grant the permanent forfeiture order.
Olamide Sadiq of the EFCC had said, “Whilst investigation was ongoing several fraudulent transactions were discovered.
“I know for a fact and verily believe that our investigation has revealed the following mind-boggling findings, among others:
“That between 2003 and 2011, Dr Olubukola Abubakar Saraki was the Executive Governor of Kwara State.
“That whilst he held the aforementioned position, the common pattern was that after payment of monthly allocation by the Federal Government to the Kwara State Government, a cumulative sum of not less than N100 million will be deposited into the Kwara Government House account.
“That upon the payment of the said N100 million, same will in turn be withdrawn in cash by one Mr Afeez Yusuf from the Kwara State Government House, Ilorin’s account in bits and brought to the Government House.”
Saraki who responded, through his lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), described the EFCC suit as an abuse of court process and an attempt to scandalise him.
