Justice Mohammed Yunusa of Federal High Court Lagos on Tuesday ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to confiscate multi-billion naira assets allegedly belonging to former Enugu State governor Dr Chimaroke Nnamani.
The former governor was charged along with his former aide, Sunday Anyaogu and six firms which include Rainbownet, Hillgate Nigeria, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.
Justice Mohammed Yunusa later split Nnamani’s trial from his co-accused as he was abroad receiving treatment. They were re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 105 counts charge of money laundering and economic crimes involving about N4.5billion.
The forfeiture of the assets to the Federal government was sequel to the plea of guilty by four of the companies on trial.
Among the forfeited assets are undeveloped properties and transmission equipment of Rainbownet Limited; properties of Hill Gate Investment Limited/Cuena Phones Limited; assets of Cosmo 105.5FM, and 22 duplexes at Ebeano Estate (now Fidelity Estate).
Others are Rainbownet’s shares in Zenith Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank, with a combined account balance of N4.6million; as well as monies in its bank accounts worth about N34.8million.
The balances are in different accounts with Guaranty Trust Bank (N313, 700); Sterling Bank (N986, 958); Ecobank (N24.5million); First City Monument Bank (N3.8million) and Zenith Bank (N761, 156). EFCC said it is awaiting details of balances in Rainbownet’s 10 accounts with Access Bank.
Rainbownet’s undeveloped properties forfeited include seven plots at Independence Layout; 567.96 Square meters (Sqm) at Abakpa; 574.96 Sqm at Emene and 2,951.98 Sqm at Achara Layout.
Others to be forfeited include thousands of square metres of properties at Abia State, namely Ogbor Hill (914.633), Abayi (one and half plots), Port Harcourt Road (1,856.449), Ariaria (640.32), Umuagari (573.263) and Assannetu (954.396), as well as Abakiliki, Ebonyi State (one plot).
Others are in Onitsha, Anambra State, such as those at Barracks (one plot), Nkpor (1088.644), Awada (465.14), Fegge (one plot); as well as 2,200.06 square miles of land at Okpumo, Awka.
The company is also to lose 693.636 square meters of undeveloped property located opposite the War Museum, Umuahia.
Assets of Rainbownet Communications Limited, including Central Switch Room, Microwave Radio, Rectifier, Microwave Backhaul Transmission, among others at various locations in Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia and Imo states are to be forfeited.
Part of the alleged laundered money was from the Excess Crude Oil Funds meant for some local government areas, including Aninri, Enugu South, Agwu, Igbo Etiti and Isi Uzor, which was allegedly transferred to Nnamani’s bank account in the United States. Nnamani allegedly committed the crime while he held sway as governor of Enugu state between 1999 and 2007. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Although he pleaded not guilty but after the trial was split, four of the companies (defendants) on May 19 pleaded guilty to a 10-count amended charge through their counsel.
The companies are Rainbownet, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile and Renaissance University Teaching Hospital.
They were alleged to have failed to comply with lawful inquiry made by the Commission. On June 11, Justice Yunusa adjourned to July 7 for review of facts and sentences after EFCC’s lawyer Kelvin Uzozie told the court that he was still trying to get a list of all the companies’ assets.
On Tuesday July 7 when the matter came up for sentencing, EFCC counsel prayed the court to convict the companies in view of their plea after tendering some documents, including the assets’ schedule. He also urged the court to make an order of the assets’ forfeiture, and for the commission to be involved in their management.
The companies’ lawyer Ifeanyi Ezeome, during the alucutus (plea for mercy), urged the court temper justice with mercy since they were first offenders.
Justice Yunusa, held that a company can be treated as a natural person in law, declaring: “It is hereby ordered that the properties listed in the schedule be forfeited to the Federal Government.” He adjourned till November 12 for the trial of the remaining accused persons.
