EFCC OPERATIVE INVESTIGATING CORRUPT OFFICIALS SHUT IN PORT HARCOURT

One of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Austin Okwor, has been shot in Port Harcourt .
Okwor, who was shot on June 24, 2017, is presently battling to survive in an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Before the attack, Okwor had been receiving threat messages.

Six months earlier, a team of EFCC prosecutors returning to Enugu after a court appearance in Owerri, Imo State was attacked by gunmen who opened fire on them. Sergeant Eze Edoga the police escort was cut down while a senior counsel with the Commission, Joseph Uzor was critically wounded but survived.

According to the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Okwor was one of the Commission’s top investigators, saddled with the responsibility of investigating corrupt judicial officials.
Okwor is said to be attached to Property Fraud Section of the EFCC Zonal office in Port Harcourt.
Uwujaren said: “Okwor had closed late for the day and as he left office, he was suddenly accosted by a gang of daredevil hoodlums who opened fire on him. Luckily for him, he was able to shake off his assailants but not without sustaining some bullet wounds as they kept firing at him. He was rushed to a private hospital in Port Harcourt where he is receiving treatment.”
Uwujaren, who described the injured operative as one of the best investigator, said that the man escaped death by the whiskers.

According to Ishaq Salihu, Head of the Zonal office, the incident has already been reported to the Police in Port Harcourt.
“Okwor is one of the operatives investigating some sensitive cases including that pertaining to corrupt judicial officials. Before the incident, the officer had been receiving threat messages. One of such messages which he received sometime in May 2017 was reported to the Police. This incident underlines the hazards which operatives of the Commission are daily exposed to in the discharge of their duties.”
Uwujaren disclosed that in 2010, precisely September 14, the head of the Commission’s Forensic Unit, Abdullahi Muazu was shot and killed by unknown gunmen in Kaduna.

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IKOYI GATE: JUDGE HANDS THE CASH TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Justice Hassan orders final forfeiture of $43.4m,£27,800,N23.3m to FG.

COURT ORDERS FORFEITURE OF N449 MILLION FOUND IN LAGOS TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N449,597,000 found in an abandoned Bureau de Change shop in Victoria Island, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on April 8th.

Justice Aikawa gave the order for permanent forfeiture after no one came forward to claim ownership of the money.


The judge had on April 19th granted an order for the interim forfeiture of the money pending when anyone would come forward to claim it. EFCC hand approached the court for an order for the forfeiture of the money after a respondent in the case, Mohammed Tauheed, failed to come forward to claim the money. Counsel for the EFCC, Idris Mohammed, told the judge that the interim order of April 19 had been advertised in the newspaper on May 11, so as to bring the case to the notice of Tauheed any interested party.

However neither Tauheed nor any other person come forward to claim the money. Delivering judgment on the application for permanent forfeiture, Justice Aikawa said “This court ordered, among others, the respondent (Tauheed) and any other interested party to show cause, within 14 days, why the interim forfeiture of N449,597,000 should not be made final. As far as my record shows, neither the respondent nor any other interested party has filed any affidavit or any other process to show cause why the interim order should not be made final.

In the instant case, the respondent has, additionally, not filed any process in response to the motion on notice. In the circumstances, I have no option but to grant the application as prayed. Accordingly, I hereby ordered that the sum of N449,597,000 found in possession of the respondent, which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity, be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.”