IFEANYI UBAH'S SUPPORTERS DISMANTLE STRUCTURE FOR PAUL CHUKWUMA AHEAD OF ANAMBRA 2025.(PHOTO).

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 ๐ˆ๐Ÿ๐ž๐š๐ง๐ฒ๐ข ๐”๐›๐š๐ก'๐ฌ ๐’๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐š๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ž ๐’๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐œ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž ๐…๐จ๐ซ ๐๐š๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐‚๐ก๐ฎ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐š ๐€๐ก๐ž๐š๐ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐€๐ง๐š๐ฆ๐›๐ซ๐š ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“ Supporters of the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah who represented Anambra South at the National Assembly, have collapsed their structure for a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Paul Chukwuma. The supporters under the aegis of Ikemba Front, a political pressure group under the party said after the death of Ubah who was their choice for the governorship position, they started searching for an aspirant that shares same ideals as the group and their former principal and decided that the man Chukwuma, was most suited for the job. The 21 local government coordinators of the group who spoke during an endorsement rally in the home of Chukwuma in Umueri, Anambra East Local Government Area on Saturday, extolled Chukwuma for his plans for Anambra. The aspirant while receiving the members said: โ€œI salute the foun...

RELIEF FOR EKWEREMADU AS COURT VACATES INTERIM FORFEITURE ORDER OF HIS PROPERTIES. (PHOTO).

Relief For Ekweremadu As Court Vacates Interim Forfeiture Order Of His Properties

January 20, 20230

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, set aside the Nov. 4, 2022, interim forfeiture order on 40 landed property linked to Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, said he had found that the application for forfeiture filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not brought in good faith and ought to be struck out.

Justice Ekwo further held that the EFCC failed to disclose material facts about the matter.

He said though the anti-graft agency knew the predicament of Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom (UK) and did not deny writing a letter to the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK to furnish them with information about the lawmaker, the EFCC still brought an application seeking an order for them to show cause on the assets to be forfeited.

โ€œI do not think that the desired objective of the legislature in enacting the provision of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act (AFFOROA), 2006 relied upon by the respondent (EFCC) in initiating the proceeding to obtain an ex-parte order of interim forfeiture order was for the provision to be used in any circumstance where the person affected is not in a position to defend himself or show cause as requiredโ€, he said.

He said that despite the fact that the ex-parte order in this case was obtained subject to the provision of Section 17 of the AFFROA 2006, the validity of the order and indeed the entire proceeding leading to the order would be affected by non-disclosure, suppression or misrepresentation of material facts.

The judge also disagreed with the EFCC that since the Ekweremadus had failed to file application to show cause, the court should go ahead with the order for final forfeiture of the assets.

โ€œI do not think that this position is correct. The requirement to file affidavit to show cause pursuant to S. 17 of the AFFOROA, 2006 will hold strong in a normal situation where the person required to do so is not fettered by any act, condition or situation that amounts to a deprivation of the right to show cause as required by law.

โ€œIn this case, the respondent (EFCC) wrote Exhibit SIE 2 (a letter) to the Crown Prosecution Service in the United Kingdom which letter was used as evidence to deny Senator Ike Ekweremadu bail in the criminal proceedings.

โ€œAt the same time, the respondent filed ex-parte application for interim forfeiture, which upon order being made thereon required Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife to show cause in Nigeria why an order for final forfeiture ought not to be made.

โ€œI have been asking myself the question repeatedly: How can a citizen of Nigeria who is incarcerated outside the country to the knowledge of the respondent, be expected to show cause in an action in Nigeria brought by the respondent?

โ€œIn other words, how do you help to tie down a man and initiate a fight and demand that the same man you have helped to tie down must defend himself?

โ€œThis in my opinion, is an unconscionable act. The act of the respondent clearly shows that this action was brought in bad faith.

โ€œIn law, bad faith entails dishonesty of belief or purpose,โ€ the judge said.

According to him, on the whole, โ€œI find that the application for forfeiture, going by the facts of this case has not been brought in good faith and ought to be struck out.

He held that Ekweremaduโ€™s son, Llyod, had done the right thing by bringing an application to set aside the proceedings initiated in bad faith and suppression of material facts.

โ€œOnce more, this court needs to apply the test of reasonableness of the act of the respondent in initiating the proceeding leading to the interim forfeiture order.

โ€œI have done so and found this application ex-parte wanting in that respect.

โ€œConsequently, I make the following orders:

โ€œAn order is hereby made setting aside the interim forfeiture order of the properties of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his companies made by this court on 4th day of November, 2022, upon the ex-parte Originating Motion filed by the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 27 July, 2022.

โ€œThe entire proceeding initiated by the respondent is hereby set aside,โ€ Justice Ekwo declared.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on Nov. 4, 2022, granted the anti-graft agencyโ€™s ex-parte motion, seeking an interim order of forfeiture of some property of Ekweremadu, who was former deputy debate president.

The judge, who granted the motion, had ordered the agency to publish the interim forfeiture order of the property in a national daily within seven days.

The judge directed anybody, who had interest in the forfeited property to indicate within 14 days of the publication on why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

NAN reports that Ekweremaduโ€™s oldest child, Lloyd; Anambra government and a company, Uni-medical Healthcare Limited had, on Dec. 5, appeared in court as parties interested in the seized property.

Lloyd, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 and filed by Chief Awomolo, prayed the court for an order setting aside the Interim forfeiture order on his fatherโ€™s property and companies.

Lloyd, in a four-ground argument, said that the facts in support of the the EFCCโ€™s ex-parte originating motion โ€œdeliberately and fraudulently omitted very critical facts/evidence, which negate the granting of the application.โ€

He argued that the motion, which the anti-graft agency commenced the action was filed in absolute bad faith.

Ekweremadu, who is currently in detention in London, and his wife, are facing a charge bordering on alleged organ harvesting against David Ukpo, said to be an underage.



 

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