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The appeal court, Lagos, on Wednesday, restored confiscation orders to 14 properties allegedly related to the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Judge Nicholas Oweibo from the Federal High Court, Lagos, in February 2023, provided a temporary confiscation from property located in Lagos, Abuja, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) following applications by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
The Commission accuses that the property is the result of activities that violate the law.
The judge also directed the EFCC to issue orders in two national newspapers and invited the parties concerned to show the reasons why property should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
After the verdict, the former governor approached the Abuja division from the Federal High Court to empty a temporary order.
He argued that property was obtained before he was elected as governor and therefore could not be purchased with the Kogi state funds.
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The Abuja Court, in the verdict submitted at the end of 2023, revoked the confiscation order and ordered EFCC to release assets to Bello.
Not satisfied with the verdict, the commission approached the appeal court to put it aside.
In the Wednesday process, the appeal court overrides the lower court decision and returns the confiscation order to the property.
Judge Yargata Nimpar, who read the verdict, stated that the lower court was wrong in the law by relying on the 308 part of the 1999 constitution, which gave immunity to the governor who sat from the civil and criminal process.
Other panel members were judges Danlami Senchi and Judge Paul Bassi.
Judge Nimpar argues that immunity does not extend to the suspected property as a result of activities that violate the law, and the assets can be investigated and preserved while waiting for the results of the confiscation application.
The panel, after that, directed EFCC to continue with the trial about the final confiscation of property.
