EFCC Secures Court Order for Final Forfeiture of ₦150m Linked to Delta Lawmaker

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a Federal High Court order directing the final forfeiture of ₦150 million linked to Nicholas Mutu, the member representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives, to the Federal Government.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the commission’s application after ruling that the funds should be permanently forfeited.

The EFCC said the court found that no sufficient grounds were presented to prevent the final forfeiture after an earlier interim order and public notice.

The anti-graft agency said its legal team filed the application under Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, arguing that the funds were liable to forfeiture.

The commission also noted that the ruling is separate from an earlier April judgment in which another judge of the Federal High Court discharged and acquitted Mutu of ₦320 million money laundering charges.

According to the EFCC, it has appealed that judgment, and the appeal is pending before the court.