A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted the police an order for interim forfeiture of a hotel, a bus, and home appliances, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Vacation judge Justice Nicholas Oweibo made the order following an ex parte motion filed and argued by Mr. Joseph Ebosereme, counsel to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID), Yaba, Lagos.

Ebosereme told the judge in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/809/2020, the unnamed hotel at Awori Town, Lagos, a Suzuki bus marked EPE 717 X2, two Plasma TVs and two generating sets belonged to Monday Uvi and Friday Joseph Eze, who were listed as respondents in the suit.

He sought an interim order prohibiting any “disposal, tampering, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienating or otherwise of the asset/properties, reasonably believed and suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

He also sought an interim order authorizing the Inspector-General of Police to appoint a competent person(s) or firm to manage the assets and properties named and described in the schedule to the application.

“The police further prayed for an order compelling the two respondents named in the suit or any other person who has an interest in the properties sought to be forfeited, to appear before it within 14 days and give reasons why the properties should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria

In a bench ruling, Justice Oweibo held: “The application is considered and granted as prayed”.