Bola Shagaya may lose N1.9 billion as EFCC moves for final forfeiture

Businesswoman and fashion enthusiast, Hajia Bola Shagaya, might lose the sum of N1.9billion, following moves by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a final forfeiture of the said amount.  

A source told The Guardian that the commission was basing the move to the outcome of an investigation of alleged unlawful activities of Shagaya in collaboration with the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in the allocation of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).  

The source added that investigation revealed an alleged unlawful proceeds of N3, 305,150,00 received by Shagaya, in which she made payments, totalling N1, 212,000,999, to proxy of the former first lady and retained the sum of 2,093,150,000.

It was further gathered that part of the funds, amounting to N1, 902,673,399,93, was allegedly warehoused in her account domiciled in Unity Bank Plc and EFCC’s Zonal head office in Lagos was seeking an approval to forfeit the said funds in the account to the federal government under forfeiture without conviction.

According to the source, the team, via suit No: FHC/L/OS/1973/16, obtained an order attaching the sum of N1, 902,673,399,93 warehoused in the account of the bank.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed an application seeking to unfreeze a Unity Bank account with a balance of N1, 902, 673, and 399. 93 belonging to Shagaya.

Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, in the judgment, threw out Shagaya ’s application, declaring that it lacked merit.The EFCC had on December 29, 2016, obtained an interim order to freeze the account. .