A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered an interim forfeiture of 40 landed properties belonging to the embattled former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently facing trials in the United Kingdom.
Justice Inyang Ekwo made the order following an ex-parte motion filed and moved by Ibrahim Buba on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
While granting the order, the Judge ordered the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order of the properties in a national daily within seven days.
He specifically directed that anybody who had interest in the forfeited properties should indicate within 14 days of the publication of the interim forfeiture order from the court.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter till December 5, 2022 for a report in the case if there is any objection from members of the public regarding the said properties.
The interim forfeiture order covers Ekweremadu’s properties as follows; 10 properties in Enugu, three in the United States of America, two in the United Kingdom, one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, the United Emirate Republic and 15 located in the Federal Capital Territory.
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By the ruling, members of the public who had interest in the properties, covered by the interim forfeiture should, within 14 days of the newspaper publication should inform the court why the properties should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The former Deputy Senate President and wife are currently in United Kingdom, standing trial over alleged organ harvesting,
In another news, A former presidential aide Reno Omokri has said there will not be issue of strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar become president of Nigeria in 2023.
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Omokri while speaking on Channel’s Televison Politics Today on Thursday made this assertion.
“Atiku is determined to make sure that the youths are equipped with the skills that they need to employ and to be employable,” he said.
Lately, ASUU has accused the Federal Government of trying to break its ranks by selecting some medical lecturers for the payment of their withheld salaries, while other academic staff are left unattended to.
Specifically, the union said medical lecturers at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto have been paid seven months salaries, accusing the Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr Chris Ngige, of favouring his professional colleagues.
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In a statement by the Chairperson, ASUU, UDUS, M. N Almustapha and the Secretary, S. A Sadiku, the union noted that such action would not augur well for the university system.
Also speaking in a chat with Vanguard on Thursday, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the minister to order.
