A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim confiscation of ₦30.7 million suspected to be the proceeds of fraud linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Emeka Enwite gave the order on Monday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC. He directed that the funds be temporarily forfeited to the federal government and ordered the decision to be published in a national newspaper.
The judge said anyone interested in the money has 14 days to appear in court and explain why it should not be permanently confiscated. He adjourned the matter to January 22 for compliance report.
The EFCC filed the application marked as FHC/ABJ/CS/2775/2025 on December 23, 2025 and moved it to January 2, 2026. Prosecutors sought an interim confiscation order of ₦30,700,000, which they said was reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of unlawful activity.
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EFCC counsel Emenick Mgbemele told the court that the request was brought under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006, adding that the process was a non-conviction-based confiscation proceeding.
According to the commission, the money was paid into the EFCC Recovery Account of the United Bank for Africa through four managers’ checks – three valued at ₦10 million and one valued at ₦700,000 – issued in the name of “M/C Draft Outstanding Account”.
In an affidavit, EFCC investigator Bilkisu Abubakar said the commission commenced an investigation after receiving petitions accusing senior NNPC officials of fraud. He said investigators conducted intelligence gathering, bank enquiries, analysis of financial records and correspondence with agencies including the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Abubakar said the investigation has identified Bureau de Change operator Adamu Yacob as a key figure in the transaction under review. He said Yakubu submitted an account showing transaction records and customer details after giving a voluntary statement to the EFCC on September 2, 2025.
He said, analysis of the ledgers revealed that over ₦4 billion was transferred to several individuals and companies on the instructions of Ibrahim Sani, identified as a staff member of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Abubakar said Sani later admitted that he used Yakubu to transfer funds and that he regularly deposited large sums of money in foreign currency with a bureau de change operator, who paid the Naira equivalent into accounts he provided. He said Sani failed to verify the source of the money.
Investigators said ₦30.7 million remained with Yakubu and was part of the money allegedly supplied by Sani. According to the affidavit, both men denied ownership of the money.
Abubakar said Yakubu later drew four managers' checks in favor of the EFCC Recovery Account, copies of which were attached to the application before the court.
