Peter Nwaoboshi, a Delta-North Senator is to in the interim, forfeit 11 buildings and 22 banks accounts to the Federal Government.
This order was given by a Federal High Court in Abuja following an ex parte application by the Special Presidential Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
According to the panel which filed the application, the assets as suspicious or suspected to be far beyond the legitimate income of Nwaoboshi.
The properties include, an electrical company, 2 filling station, a multi-billion naira estate under construction at Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba, Delta State, a cinema house, and other buildings at different locations in Lagos, Abuja and Delta state located at 41, Buma Road, Apapa, Lagos.
In addition, the Senator also faces an interim forfeiture of 22 bank accounts with various banks in Nigeria.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo while giving the order said, “That interim order is hereby made forfeiting all the property alleged to belong to the 1st respondent being suspicions assets or assets far beyond the legitimate income of the 1st respondent particularly those on the amended schedule to this application pending the investigation
“That an order is hereby made restraining the 2nd to the 5th respondents from posting any debt or making any withdrawals on all the accounts belonging to the 1st respondent (Nwaoboshi) particularly those on the amended schedule attached to this application.
“That the properties listed in the schedule attached in this order that carry no address i.e items 6, 7 and 8 are exempted from this order.”
The court also ordered that the respondents be put on notice of the court order and that a publication be made in a widely read newspaper in Nigeria.
He directed that “any person with interest or third party interest in the listed properties shall within 30 days of the publication show cause why the propertie(s) shall not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria permanently.”
He said such interested applicant showing cause “shall file an affidavit in the registry of this court with copies of documents attached showing ownership of the properties”.
The case has been adjourned till October 8.
