Ike Ekweremadu, the Embattled former Deputy Senate President, is in even more danger now that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been granted permission, by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, to temporarily take 40 properties that are linked to him.
Trial Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the interim forfeiture order following his hearing of an ex-parte motion made by the EFCC.
An affidavit identifying the properties as the focus of an ongoing investigation was attached to the ex-parte application with the file number FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 that was filed by Mr. Ibrahim Buba, a prosecutor at the EFCC.
The EFCC testified in court that it suspects the landed properties, including 10 in Enugu, 3 in the United States of America, 2 in the United Kingdom, 1 in Lagos, 9 in Dubai, and 15 in the Federal Capital Territory, were purchased with profits from crime.
In his decision, Justice Ekwo mandated that the anti-graft agency announce the interim forfeiture order of the assets in a national daily within the next seven days.
The court then put the matter on hold until December 5 while it awaited a report on any objections from members of the public who had an interest in any of the properties.
Ekweremadu is currently on trial in the UK for allegedly bringing David Ukpo to the nation with the intention of removing his organs.
Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice were detained by the London Metropolitan Police and charged with bringing a child (Ukpo) to the UK for organ harvesting.
The personal information on Ukpo’s international passport and bank verification number, or BVN, later revealed that he is roughly 21 years old, despite the UK police’s claims that he was 15 years old.
Although Ekweremadu remains in custody, his wife was granted bail by a UK judge on July 26 while the case against them is being resolved.