An Abuja Federal High Court on Thursday, ordered a former Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Adenike Bintu to forfeit 60 illegally acquired landed properties to the federal government of Nigeria.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC, had approached the court for an order of forfeiture of the 60 properties and a 9.6 hectare of land, both located at Sabon-Lugbe South-West Extension, Airport Road, Abuja, alleged to have been acquired by Bintu through corrupt means.
Counsel to ICPC, John-Paul Okwor, told the court that the Commission was relying on Section 48 (1) (2) and (3) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which gives it power to approach the courts to forfeit properties corruptly acquired by individuals.
It argued that the former Commandant set up a private company, Faith Winners Victory Properties Limited, through which she allegedly perpetrated the fraud by selling plots of land to unsuspecting members of the public.
Justice Obiora Egwuata heard that Bintu claimed that the land, which she used to dupe over 1000 people that subscribed into the estate business, was owned in partnership with NSCDC.
However, the subscribers, who had made several payments running into millions of naira, were never allocated plots of land nor were their funds returned to them by Bintu and her company.
ICPC informed the court that Bintu did not enter into any partnership with NSCDC to build estates for members of the public.
Bintu prayed the court to strike out the case because, according to her, ICPC had no powers to prosecute civil cases and that Sections 6 and 48 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, relied upon by the Commission had been repealed by the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003.
Justice Egwuata dismissed her arguments for lack of merit and ordered forfeiture of all the 60 buildings and the 9.6 hectare of land to the federal government
