The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, ordered an interim forfeiture of landed property linked to two former Directors, Finance and Accounts Department, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Suleiman Bulkwang and Abdullahi Sambo.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lawyer, Martha Babatunde, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.
Justice Egwuatu consequently adjourned the matter until July 7 for a report of compliance.
Among the seven property temporarily forfeited include a 1-hectare plot of land in Ungwan Rere, Lafia Government Area, Nasarawa State linked to Sambo, and four units of two-bedroom flats in Kubwa, Abuja linked to Suleiman Bulkwang.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that REA had been under investigation over allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds to the tune of N1.4 billion.
Sambo was alleged to have benefited the total sum of N742 million from the funds which he allegedly used to purchase the landed property.
The EFCC, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/825/2025 and filed by Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, had sought two prayers.
It sought “an interim order of this honourable court forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties described in the schedule below which are reasonably suspected to be derived from proceeds of unlawful activities,.”
The commission also sought an order directing the publication of the interim order in any national newspaper for person(s) in whose possession the funds sought yo be forfeited are found.
Alternatively, it sought the order for anyone who is interested in the funds to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order for forfeiture of the funds mentioned in Relief 1 should not be made in favour of the Federal Government.
The EFCC, in the affidavit in support of the motion, averred that Sambo, in March 2023, allegedly pre-informed staff of the REA department that monies were going to be paid into their bank accounts, which they had to remit for a supposed “project supervision and monitoring.”
The commission added that seven REA staff acknowledged the directive from Sambo for the disbursement upon receipt of the funds from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform in their extrajudicial statements.
Sambo was alleged to have directed the staff in his department to execute their roles on the GIFMIS platform, and approved and effected the fraudulent payments totaling N1,481,389,518.11.
It said that between March and June 2023, Sambo directed staff of his department to effect payments totaling N1,481,389,518.11 to the various bank accounts of the seven staff of the accounts department of REA, including his own and that of Usman Kwakwa, his personal assistant.
“The payments were done without the approval of the Managing Director and also without the prerequisite preparation and audit of payment vouchers by the audit department as required,” the commission said.
The anti-graft agency said that upon receipt of funds, Kwakwa was instructed by Sambo to further disburse the total funds to his allies, Bureau De Change operators, Sambo himself, senior staff of the agency and other persons.
“Mr. Sambo personally benefitted the total sum of N742,486,700.00 from REA through his staff, most of which was used to acquire identified properties through his ally Danmama Mohammed,” EFCC alleged.
It told told the court that Bulkwang and Sambo had “indicated willingness” to forfeit all the property allegedly derived from unlawful activities.
It said that the development was a “non-conviction based asset forfeiture proceeding.”
NAN report that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission (ICPC) is currently prosecuting some of the staff involved in the alleged fraud at different courts of Federal High Court, including Sambo.
The EFCC had, in November 2024, arraigned Suleiman Bulkwang before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a sister court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering amounting to N223,412,909.
President Bola Tinubu had, in March 2024, approved the indefinite suspension of the Managing Director/CEO of the REA, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, alongside three executive directors of the agency, and appointed Abba Aliyu as replacement.
The REA is the implementing agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for the electrification of rural and unserved communities.
