Anambra State Government and a firm – Uni-medical Healthcare Limited – have claimed ownership of some of the property recently seized from former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on November 4, granted an interim forfeiture order in respect of 40 landed property, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed belonged to Ekweremadu.
The affected property were said to include 10 houses 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 (FCT).
But in separate affidavits filed by Anambra State and Uni-medical Healthcare before the court, they want the court to release three of the seized houses to them.
Anambra State said “the property listed as No. 1 in Schedule ‘A’ in page 2 of the interim order, known as No 14/16, Charles Street, GRA Enugu” belongs it.
The state added that the house formed one of the houses it was allocated after the creation of Enugu State from the old Anambra State.
It said at the creation of Enugu State in 1991, the sharing of assets between the two states was in a White Paper published by the Federal Government.
Anambra further stated that in the said White Paper, the Federal Government directed that the ownership of five residential houses in Enugu hitherto jointly owned by both states, should be transferred to the Anambra State Government to be used as guest houses.
The state added that it was currently before Enugu State High Court with Ekweremadu over the ownership of the building.
It challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja to have made the order of November 4 and prayed the court to delist the house as part of the property belonging to Ekweremadu.
In its affidavit, Uni-medical Healthcare urged the court to discharge the interim order made against “the property in No. 7 to Schedule ‘A’ of the application.”
The firm claimed to be the owner of the property located at Plot 680 and 681, Independence Layout, Enugu in Enugu State “referred to as 23, Umunana Street, Independence Layout, Enugu State.”
It claimed to have bought the property from Power Properties Nigeria Limited at N300million in August 2021, adding that the perfection of the title was completed on March 24, 2022 which it said predated the application for interim forfeiture order filed b the EFCC on July 27, 2022.
Ekweremadu’s eldest child, Lloyd has also filed a motion, praying the court to among others, set aside the interim forfeiture order made in relation to his father’s assets.
In the motion, argued that facts in support of the ex-parte originating motion filed by the EFCC “deliberately and fraudulently omitted very critical facts/evidence, which negate the granting of the application.”
He contended that the motion, with which the EFCC obtained the order, was filed in absolute bad faith.
Lloyd added that “the originating motion ex-parte was an abuse of judicial process, oppressive, intimidating and unfair to the parties interested in the property forfeited in the interim.
“The originating motion ex-parte was initiated with the expectation that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and other persons interested in the property be denied of their right to fair hearing,” Lloyd said.
Following the request for time to respond made by EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned till December 15 for hearing.
