The Court of Appeal in Lagos has reinstated the interim forfeiture of 14 luxury properties linked to ex-Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, overturning a lower court decision that scrapped the order.
In a virtual ruling, a three-judge panel led by Justice Yargata Nimpar held that the Federal High Court was wrong to rely on the constitutional immunity clause to shield the properties from seizure. Immunity, the court ruled, applies to a person, not to assets suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) can now proceed to a full hearing to decide if the properties — in Lagos, Abuja, and Dubai — should be permanently forfeited.
Among them is a high-end apartment in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Bello’s lawyers claim the properties were bought before his time as governor and have nothing to do with public funds.
But Justice Nimpar said the law allows preservation of assets under investigation and dismissed all of Bello’s preliminary objections.
