Assets forfeiture: Presidential panel seals Nwaoboshi’s properties in Delta, Abuja, Lagos

Writes four banks to block embattled senator’s accounts

The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sealed up suspicious assets and properties belonging to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, located in Warri, Asaba in Delta State, and Lagos State respectively.

The Presidential Panel carried out the action on the premise of last week’s ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered an interim forfeiture of properties belonging to Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North senatorial district.

Ruling in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/1127/18 filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal Government, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, also placed a post-no-debit order on 22 bank accounts linked to Nwaoboshi.

The embattled lawmaker was recently referred to the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel led by Chief Okoi Obono-Obla for allegedly making false assets declaration in his Form CCB1 submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

According to the ruling, 14 properties and 22 bank accounts linked to the senator are to be temporarily forfeited to the federal government.

Aside from sealing up the properties, the Panel also wrote to several banks including Zenith International Bank Plc ; United Bank of Africa ; Sterling Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc to block Senator Nwaoboshi from operating multiple accounts maintained by him in these banks pursuant to the Order of the Interim forfeiture given by the Court.

Some of the properties sealed by the Presidential Panel included: Summing Electrical Company located at Asagba along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State; PON filling station along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State, and a Multibillion Naira Estate under construction at Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba, Delta State.

Others are: Cartage Cinema located at Okpana Road beside Rain Oil Petrol Station, Asaba, Delta State; Newbridge filling Station along Airport Road, Warri, Delta State and a house at No 8 Monu Olanrewaju Crescent, GRA, Asaba, Delta State.

Senators Nwaoboshi’s properties sealed in Lagos are Guinea House, No 27, Marina Road, Apapa: A multi-billion building located at 41, Burma road, Apapa, Lagos.

In Abuja, House No 25 6932 road, Adban Estate, Gwarimpa; and Plot 3011B Kuranakh Close, Maitama were sealed. Also, a number of plots of land were also sealed by the panel.