SAHARANEWS – A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government of the sum of N280,555,010 linked to Obinwanne Okeke popularly known as Invictus Obi.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa ruled on an ex-parte application on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The commission said it traced the said amount to Mr Okeke in bank accounts of Invictus Oil and Gas Limited and Invictus Investment Limited.
Okeke, 31, is being accused in the US of conspiring to commit fraud of over $11 million.
The EFCC said in the application that the temporary forfeiture order was necessary to prevent the companies from tampering or dissipating the money which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Aikawa therefore ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds and asked the commission to publish in any national newspaper, the interim order for the named parties or anyone who is interested in the monies sought to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture should not be made in favour of the Federal Government.
The court fixed October 30 for further proceedings.
Okeke was arrested on August 6 in Dulles, Virginia, US after a criminal complaint was filed against him by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).