Court Orders Reps Member To Refund N150m, Proceed From Contract Scam, To FG

By Ayodele Oni

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured final forfeiture of the sum of N150 million to the federal government being proceed from kickbacks.

This followed a Federal High Court, (FHC) sitting in Abuja ruling which granted the final forfeiture of N150 million linked to a member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Mutu, to the Federal Government.

The order was granted, in an application by the EFCC through the agency’s legal team led by Ekele Iheanacho (SAN).

The application was brought pursuant to Section 44(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

The court had earlier granted an interim order and also directed the publication of the order in a national newspaper.

The EFCC stated that when the publication was made, no sufficient cause was shown why the funds under the interim forfeiture should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.

The presiding judge, Justice J.O Abdulmalik, after considering the application, the objections, and various affidavits filed by counsel to Mutu and his company, Airworld Technologies Limited, ordered the final forfeiture of the said funds to the federal government.

The EFCC had presented the findings of its investigation to the court which revealed that Mutu, the lawmaker representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, had agreed and received kickbacks totalling N400,159,689.63 from an NDDC consultant (Starline Consultancy Services), while serving as the House of Representatives Chairman on NDDC.

The EFCC explained that the funds were received and laundered through the Heritage Bank accounts of Mutu’s companies, Airworld Technologies Limited and Oyien Homes Limited.