Isa Yuguda

Justice Hassan Dikko of the Federal High Court, Bauchi, will on December 10, 2018 rule on the final forfeiture of a property, linked to Isa Yuguda, a former Bauchi State governor, believed to be proceeds of illegal activities.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had approached the Court arguing that the property located at No.184, Attahiru Bafarawa Close, Besides Fariah Suites, Old GRA, was obtained by him using monies diverted from the security vote of the state government, during his tenure as governor. Specifically, the money was used to service the loan vide which the property was purchased in 2011.

Pursuant to an application earlier brought by the EFCC before the Court, an order of interim forfeiture of the property to the federal government was granted with an order that same should be published on the EFCC website and Daily Trust newspaper on May 24, 2018. Following the publication of the Court Order, Yuguda through his counsel, Samuel O. Zibiri, SAN, filed processes to have the order vacated.

Hearing in the matter took place on November 26, 2018 where the EFCC through its counsel, G.K. Latona and Aisha Ibrahim, urged the court to dismiss the processes filed on behalf of “Respondent and Party interested and grant final forfeiture of the property to the FGN in line with sections 44(2)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006”.

“The Commission had clearly shown from its affidavit evidence that the monies used to service the loan for Eacquisition of the property was stolen from Bauchi state security vote,” Latona said.

He thus applied for non-conviction based forfeiture of the said property, clarifying further that “contrary to the position of Respondent’s lawyer, the suit was a non-conviction forfeiture proceedings which was an action in rem against property not predicated on arrest or conviction.”

After listening to the arguments, Justice Dikko, adjourned to December 10, 2018 for judgement.