Court orders forfeiture of N1.37bn allegedly diverted during El-Rufai administration

The Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered an interim forfeiture of N1.37 billion allegedly diverted from the coffers of the Kaduna State Government into a private account.

The money, a part of the funds released for a failed light rail project in Kaduna State, was allegedly diverted during the administration of former Governor El-Rufai, who governed the state between 2015 and 2023.

The judge, H. Buhari, issued the forfeiture order on 28 February, following an ex parte application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), which traced the money to a private account.

On 14 February, the anti-graft agency filed the ex parte application seeking the recovery of the money. The ICPC said the El-Rufai administration never executed the project, depriving the people of Kaduna State of the benefits of the rail transportation system, which the money was meant for.

The commission said Kaduna State officials diverted the money through the Indo Kaduna MRTS JV Nig. Ltd, a joint venture entity set up in 2016 by the state government and Indian businesspeople.

ICPC’s lawyer, E.O Akponimisingha, moved the application. Being an ex parte hearing, the proceedings excluded the adverse parties who might want to oppose the forfeiture application.

Therefore, while granting the ICPC’s application, the judge not only ordered the interim forfeiture of the money, he also directed the anti-graft agency to publish a notice in any two national newspapers requesting any person with interest in the money to present their claim and show cause in court why the asset should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The judge then adjourned further proceedings till 8 April for such interested people who may want to claim the money to make their case before the court.