Wanted ex-NSITF boss, Olejeme, to forfeit 48 property

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered the interim forfeiture of 

48 choice property, allegedly belonging to a former chairman of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Funds, Ngozi Olejeme.

The affected property is spread across the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Bayelsa, Enugu, Edo and Delta states, according to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman, Dele Oyewale.

The forfeiture order was granted after the counsel for the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, convinced the court that the said property was purchased with proceeds of crime.

The statement said, “Olejeme who was also the treasurer of the Jonathan-Sambo Campaign Organisation in 2015 has been on the run since 2016 and was in September 2017, declared wanted by the EFCC for criminal conspiracy, abuse of once, diversion of public funds and money laundering.”

She was alleged to have, along with the former managing director of NSITF, Mr Umar Abubakar, mismanaged and diverted over N69bn.

In granting the application, Justice Taiwo ruled that the interim order should be published in a leading newspaper within seven days of receipt of the order and for any interested party to show cause within 14 days why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the government.

He adjourned the matter till July 27, 2020.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has secured the conviction of one Olaniyi Zaccheus, a former account officer of the Staff Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society of the College of Medicine, Idi-Araba, Lagos State, for N4m fraud.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment through virtual proceedings.