Pension Scam: Court Orders Forfeiture of Brifina Hotel to FG
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, secured the final forfeiture of Brifina Hotel Limited to the Federal Government.
The hotel which is located on Plot 1106 Cadastral Zone B02 Durumi District, Abuja is alleged to be one of the properties acquired by Dr Sani Shuaibu Teidi, former director, Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation with proceeds of fraud.
Though the hotel was traced to Teidi, he denied ownership of the property despite claim by the original owner that he sold the property to him.
Investigation according to EFCC revealed that the said hotel was purchased by the accused through his company, Badawulu Ventures for the sum of three hundred and thirty nine million naira (N339, 000,000).
The EFCC had earlier secured an interim forfeiture order on the property from Justice Adamu Bello.
When the matter came up today, counsel to the EFCC, Godwin Obla, SAN urged the court to grant his prayers for final forfeiture of the property in line with the provisions of section 264 of the CPA, section 34(i) of the EFCC Act and the rules of the Federal High Court as it has been established that the property was acquired from proceeds of crime.
The Defence counsel, James Ogwu Onoja did not oppose the application stating that the accused was not aware that money used to acquire the property was gotten from proceeds of crime and will not be contesting the property.
Justice Ademola therefore granted the prayers of the prosecution, ordering that the property be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Dr. Teidi is facing a 22-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit fraud and concealing the origin of stolen pension funds to the tune of N18.3 billion.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Dr Sani Teidi Shuaibu, former Director, Pension Accounts, office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federal of Nigeria, Udusegbe Eric Omoefe, Gozinda Enterprises, Bashinta Nigeria Limited, Haleath Enterprises, Uthatak Nigeria Limited, Krasiva Nigeria Limited and Ribaile Petroleum Limited at various times between 2009 and 2010 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired together to obtain by false pretence and with intent to defraud from the Pension s Account, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria various sums in the aggregate amount of N1,951,592,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty One Million ,Five Hundred and Ninety Two Thousand Naira.), and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006 and Punishable Under Section 1(3) of the same Act, 2006”.