EFCC secures final forfeiture of two Abuja properties over ‘N777.2m fraud’

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of two properties in Abuja allegedly acquired with proceeds linked to a N777.2 million fraudulent transaction.

Justice Deinde Dipeolu made the order on Wednesday following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The properties are a three-bedroom bungalow located at Plot D061, Magoro Drive, Phase 2, City View Estate, Dakwo District, Abuja, and 4.2 hectares of land situated at Plots MF 2344, 1980A, 1981A and 1979A, Sabon Lugbe East Extension, Abuja.

The properties were linked to Adeseun Adeniyi Olakunle, who allegedly posed as a deputy director with the Lagos State Government, and Omotosho Abraham Aremu.

The EFCC application, marked FHC/LAG/644/2026, was filed and argued by the commission’s counsel, Chinyere Okezie.

The anti-graft agency said the application was brought 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 inherent jurisdiction of the court.

In an affidavit deposed to by an EFCC investigator, Ahmed Bello, the commission said its investigation followed a petition filed by Bolaji Ayorinde Law LLP against Olakunle and Aremu over allegations of obtaining by false pretence and stealing.

According to the EFCC, the suspects approached a complainant in 2025 with what they described as a presidential-backed and federally approved land allocation scheme involving about 30,134,189 square metres of land in Maroko, Lekki 1, Lagos.

The commission alleged that the two men falsely represented that they had direct links to the Presidency and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and could facilitate the federal allocation of the land.

The EFCC further alleged that Olakunle presented himself as a deputy director with the Lagos State Government and displayed a government identity card to reinforce the claim.

Based on the representations, the commission said the complainant transferred N1.5 million to the suspects on August 19, 2025, followed by N15 million on August 28 and N735 million on September 8.

The EFCC said its investigation subsequently traced N145 million to Nwadije Tracy Otite on September 16, 2025, for the purchase of the Abuja bungalow.

Another N100 million, according to the commission, was traced to NCR and Associates Ltd on October 9, 2025, in connection with the acquisition of the second property.

The agency said the recipients were invited during the investigation and confirmed that the properties belonged to the respondents.

The EFCC further told the court that Justice Dipeolu had earlier, on June 17, 2026, granted an interim forfeiture order and directed the commission to publish the order.

The order was subsequently published in *The Guardian* on July 3, 2026, the commission said.

According to the EFCC, none of the respondents filed an objection following the publication of the interim forfeiture order.

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

After considering the EFCC’s application, the processes filed and the legal authorities cited, Justice Dipeolu held that the application had merit.

The judge consequently granted the application as prayed, ordering the final forfeiture of the two Abuja properties to the Federal Government.