SAN FRANCISCO, December 15, (THEWILL) – The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja, has ordered a civil servant, Mr. Ibrahim Tumsah, to temporarily forfeit 86 luxury vehicles, together with four houses and a quarry plant in Abuja, to the Federal Government.
Of the 86 vehicles, seized from Tumsah, a Director of Finance and Account in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, 23 were said to be armoured and were described by detectives as brand new.
The court’s forfeiture orders also affected four houses, two of which are located in Wuse II; one in Wuse Zone 7, and the other in Jabi, a quarry in Kuje, and eight containers, with household items.
The 86 vehicles, the landed assets and the other items were said to have been found on November 17, 2017, in a warehouse located on the premises of the house at 22 Igbani Street, Jabi, Abuja.
The judge made the orders following an ex parte application filed on November 23, 2017, by the recently constituted Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal Government chaired by the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla.
Court papers showed that Justice Muawiyah Idris of the FCT High Court made the interim forfeiture orders on December 6, 2017 based on the serious criminal allegations that were brought against the respondents, Tumsah his and brother, Tijjani Tumsah.
The court, in its ruling, granted the orders authorising the panel to freeze all the items listed in the schedule attached to the ex parte motion after the judge heard from the panel’s lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel.
But the judge also ordered that the panel’s ongoing investigation must be completed within three months and then adjourned until March 6, 2018.
Some of the 86 cars listed with their chasis numbers and colours in the schedule attached to the panel’s ex parte motion include Wrangler Jeep (black), Audi ASL (ash), Toyota Hilux (white), Taurus Ford (red), Mercedez Benz S550 (red), Mercedez Benz GL 550(black), Toyota Land Cruiser V6 (black), Toyota Prado Jeep (white), Jaguar (ash), another Toyota Hiluz (white), Toyota Highlander, and another Mercedez Benz S550 (black).
Also on the schedule are two Golf GTI cars (both black), Hyundai Veloster (red), Wrangler (red), Chevrolet (ash), Mercedez Vaneo (ash), Infinity FX50 (ash), Honda 2008/9, Jaguar XF (silver), Sahara Jeep (grey), BMW 7 Series (dark ash), Mercedez E550 (silver), Toyota Avalon (dark ash), Mercedez CLK 550 (ash), Cayenna Porche (black), Toyota Camry 2009 (sky blue), Jeep SRT Chirokee (silver), BMW GT550 (white) and BMW R8 2 Series (black).
Others on the list are Hyundai Velager (red), Camry 2013/14(white), Mercedez C300 (black), Ford Taurus (golden), Lincoln Niks (dark ash), Equus 2013 (dark ash), Toyota Sequoia (black), Audi A7 3.OT (black), Toyota Prado (black), another Mercedez C550 (black), KIA 900 (black), Avalon 2014(dark ash), Fiat 500 (silver), Acura RNX 2013, Lexus 15 3500, another Ford Taurus (Maroon), Caridac XT54 (red), Fiat; Turbo; Ford Excursion; Honda V6 Tourine, Audi Q 736, Ford BW, Lexus LS430 and Infinity QX705.
They also include Maserati, Ford Super Duty, Toyota RAV4, Ford 4X4 Super Duty, Land Rover VIE 1155, Land Rover VIE 1265, Ford Taurus Limited, Ford SHD, Audi 55, Roya Turbo and 20 other luxury cars.
The seized houses are located at 34 Euphrate Street, Wuse II, Abuja; 5 Siraso Crescent, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja; 27 Cairo Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja; and 22 Igbani Street, Jabi, Abuja.
Of the eight containers, one was said to be empty, while the rest were said to have contained items like mattresses, cables, Honda Bike 4 Wheel, among others.
Meanwhile, the Obono-Obla-led panel had alleged that Tumsah, from whom the multi-million naira assets were seized, was merely on a monthly salary of less than N500,000, yet acquired all the assets between 2016 and 2017.
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