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High Court Orders Former Naval Chief Ezeoba To Forfeit N1.8b To Federal Government

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A Federal High Court in Lagos in Nigeria’s southwest zone has ruled that a limited liability company, Acquila Leasing Limited, should temporarily forfeit N1.825 billion found in the company’s account to the Federal Government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which obtained the forfeiture order on behalf of the Federal Government, alleged that the sum was part of a total of N2.387 billion diverted from the coffers of the Nigerian Navy by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dele Ezeoba (retired). Mr. Ezeoba headed the Nigerian Navy between 2012 and 2014.

An EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, filed an ex-parte application for temporary forfeiture of the funds before Justice Muslim Hassan. The application invoked Section 17 of Nigeria’s Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 as well as Section 44(2)(k) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

In the filing, Mr. Oyedepo urged the court to urgently grant the forfeiture order in the interest of justice. Justice Hassan granted the order and gave 14 days for Chuka Onwuchekwa and his company, Acquila Leasing Limited,as well as any other party interested in the money to appear before him to give reasons why the fund should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Justice Hassan adjourned the case till March 29, 2017 for any interested parties to appear before him.

The EFCC’s application listed Onwuchekwa and Acquila Leasing Limited as the first and second respondents. An affidavit of urgency sworn to by an operative of the EFCC, Adamu Usman, said Mr. Ezeoba was investigated following an intelligence report. He disclosed that the anti-grant agency analyzed information and determined further investigation was warranted.

According to Mr. Usman, information obtained by the EFCC from Mr. Ezeoba on June 21, 2016 revealed that the N1.825 billion was proceeds of crime “fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Ezeoba.”

The EFCC alleged that Mr. Dele Joseph Ezeoba used the name of the first respondent, Acquila Leasing Limited, to open a fraudulent account in order to disguise funds he laundered from the Navy. The commission added that, in a desperate bid to further disguise and conceal the illicit source of the funds, Mr. Ezeoba entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to buy shares of Acquila Leasing Limited from Mr. Onwuchekwa, the company’s managing director.

According to the EFCC, “the said shares of Acquila Leasing Limited [were] worth N2.378, 000,000.” The commission remarked that, out of the N2.378 billionembezzled by Mr. Ezeoba, only N1.825 billion had so far been recovered via drafts in favor of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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FIRS Topshot, Aminat Oluwa Finds Love Again (details of her romance with First Bank MD, Adeduntan)

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-Fred Akinola

 

Lagos top socialite, Adebimpe Aminat Oluwa has given love another try,

 

The mother-of-three, a top official at the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS who was once married to the eldest son of billionaire Chairman of Tuns Farm, Alhaji Tunde Badmus has given anything that had to do with relationship a wide berth, before she met her new lover who is giving her so much joy.

 

Sources hinted that Adebimpe who was at a time a former Secretary and an Assistant Director at Lagos Inland Revenue Service has been keeping her new affair private for obvious reasons.

 

But the affair leaked at her 47th birthday when her lover surprised her to a private party.

 

The lover, the Chief Executive Officer of First Bank, Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan also maintained his part of keeping the affair secret.

 

Adeduntan is happily married and celebrated his 24th wedding anniversary to his wife, Adenike on July 17, 2023.

 

Sources claimed the lovers met at a corporate event in Lagos and from the look of things, the man must have been considering taking Adebimpe as his second wife.

 

Judging by their closeness, the affair is said to have taken a firmer direction. Despite the banker’s busy schedule, he finds time to match up his role in the relationship, steaming the prediction on where the affair is heading.

 

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Obat’s Son, Femi Akinruntan To Marry Ooni’s Ex-Wife, Queen Naomi

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If the story making the rounds is anything close to the truth, then the ex-wife of the Oonirisa, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Naomi Silekunola is having a shot at matrimony a second time.

 

The prophetess who was sent packing from the Odua Palace some years ago for undisclosed reason, is yet to hug royalty again as she has been linked to the Managing Director of Obat Petroleum, Femi Akinruntan who himself is a prince, being the second son of billionaire monarch and the Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Frederick Akinruntan.

 

From a post monitored on popular instagram blog, Maestromedia, the Olugbo, Oba Akinruntan is said to have fallen for the charm of the prophetess that he decided to marry her for his son.

 

Many who had monitored the supremacy war between the Olugbo and the Ooni of Ife regarded this as a contest to spite the youthful Ooni of Ife.

 

The billionaire monarch was said to have taken up the welfare of Naomi immediately she got separated from the Ooni.

There were claims that he gave her a house in Lagos, car and foots her monthly bills explaining why the ex-queen did not feel her separation from her husband

 

Though unconfirmed, the plot to welcome the young prophetess who bore a son to the Ooni is thickening with news that the Olugbo palace is gearing towards a superlative ceremony and has informed those who should know.

 

Prince Femi Akinruntan, the GMD of Obat Petroleum is married to Folake, the daughter of a popular businesswoman, Elsie in Ibadan.

 

 

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EFCC Investigates Construction Guru, Abimbola Olupaiye For Multimillion Fraud In Dubai

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Construction topshot, Abimbola Joseph Olupaiye is presently under investigation for land fraud in the United Arab Emirates.

Olupaiye who is a former employee of Tigers Properties LLC Dubai is currently being prosecuted for obtaining money by fraudulent misrepresentation to the tune of N140 million and 467,000 Dirhams in Dubai property Investment.

 

In a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sighted by papermacheonline  and with petition number EFCC/PET/LAG/1209/2023, Joseph Olupaiye was fingered alongside Tigers Properties LLC.

It reads in part, “Petition against Abimbola Joseph and TIgers Properties LLC on account of obtaining money by fraudulent misrepresentation to the tune of 467,000 Dirham and 300,500 Dollars.”

The matter has been reported to the EFCC which has commenced investigation to unravel the shady deal.

 

Additional report; Societyreporters

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