A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday, ordered the return of two houses belonging to Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President, which were previously forfeited to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the presiding judge, Rilwan Aikawa, there is no sufficient basis in the EFCC application for the permanent forfeiture of Mr Saraki’s houses.
Recall that in December 2019, the judged had granted an interim forfeiture of Saraki’s houses located at Plots No. 10 and No. 11 Abdulkadir Road, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State, through an ex parte motion filed by the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC, in its application, said there is “a damning intelligence report, showing monumental fraud perpetrated in the treasury of the Kwara State Government between 2003 and 2011.”
However, while delivering a judgement on EFCC’s application for permanent forfeiture, Justoce Aikawa, upheld the earlier judgement and ordered the release of the properties on grounds that the motion lacked basis.
Saraki had claimed that he was being with hunted by the agency.
“The EFCC’s claim that the Ilorin property was built by any proceeds of fraud is outrightly false. One can only see that EFCC is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy,” Saraki said.
He added that the Ilorin property was built partly by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 while he funded the remaining cost of the building with his personal funds.
