Justice Abdullah M. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of N235,451,969 linked to the convicted fraudster, Obinwanne Okeke aka Invictus Obi, to the Federal Government.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren disclosed this in a Thursday statement.
The judge had on March 23, 2020 ordered interim forfeiture of the sum domiciled in First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
This was sequel to an ex-parte application dated December 18, 2019, filed by the Lagos zonal office of the EFCC.
Justice Liman also directed the EFCC to issue a notice in a national newspaper asking anyone opposed to the forfeiture of the money to come before the court and show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the government.
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Following the expiration of the notice given, the anti-graft agency EFCC on June 2, 2020, filed a Motion on Notice seeking final forfeiture of the funds.
EFCC counsel, I. Sulaiman, on November 12, 2020, moved a motion seeking the court to grant his prayer for the forfeiture of the fund.
According to Uwujaren’s statement, Justice Liman ruled in favour of the commission granting final forfeiture of the money to the federal government.
Recall that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Invictus Obi, 34, in August 2019 as he made to leave the country.
Invictus Obi, who was named in Forbes Africa’s Under 30 List in 2016, was accused of internet fraud to the tune of $11 million.
He later pleaded guilty to computer fraud and wire fraud and was convicted on June 19, 2020.