The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of a London property linked to former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni, to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Binta Nyako granted the application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), ruling that the motion seeking permanent forfeiture of the asset was valid and supported by sufficient evidence.
The property, located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London, had earlier been placed under an interim preservation order by the court in November 2025. The order was subsequently published in a national newspaper, inviting any interested parties to contest the proposed forfeiture. However, no individual or organisation came forward to lay claim to the property.
Counsel to the CCB, Sufyan Ahmad, argued that the asset was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. He relied on provisions of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to support the court’s authority to grant the forfeiture.
In an affidavit presented before the court, a CCB investigator detailed findings from a financial analysis which showed that the late Useni’s declared income during his time in public office was insufficient to fund the acquisition of the UK property. The report pointed to a significant gap between his earnings and the value of the asset, suggesting the presence of unexplained wealth.
Further evidence revealed that the property was allegedly purchased under a fictitious identity, a move investigators said was intended to conceal the true ownership. This position was reinforced by a ruling of the UK’s First-tier Tribunal, which confirmed that the aliases linked to the property were not genuine and were used to obscure the identity of the beneficial owner.
The tribunal had also dismissed competing ownership claims involving individuals identified as “Mr” and “Ms” Tali Shani, after determining that the documents presented to support those claims were falsified.
The CCB maintained that the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the property strongly indicated illicit enrichment, adding that the forfeiture was necessary in the interest of justice and accountability.
Justice Nyako, in her ruling, agreed with the submissions and ordered that the property be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, marking a significant development in efforts to recover assets suspected to be linked to corruption.
