Remember the N60m cash intercepted and seized from a relative of the immediate past SSG of Zamfara state around the end of May? The Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto zonal office has secured the interim forfeiture of the N60 million cash linked to a former Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Muhammad Shinkafi and Murtala Muhammad Shinkafi.
Justice Fadima Murtala of the Federal High Court, sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, granted the order for the interim forfeiture of the said sum. The money was recovered in four ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags found inside a Black Land Cruiser Prado Jeep with registration No: DKA 67 PX (Kaduna), at No.145 Igala Hausing Estate, off By-pass Road Gusau.
The order was pursuant to a motion ex-parte dated June 13, 2019 brought by the EFCC. Justice Fadima held that: “An interim forfeiture order of this honourable court is hereby granted, forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the money sum of N60,000,000.00 (Sixty Million Naira) and a Black Land Cruiser Prado Jeep which are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.”
The court granted the prayers in line with section 17(1)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006; Section 44(2) (K) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; Section 29 of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004, and the provisions of Order 6 (5) (C) and 8 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2009.
The order is pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged money laundering offence.