Court orders final forfeiture of N1,168,602, 877.44, $392,818.01, £35,070 recovered from ex-First Bank’s staff to FG

Justice A.O.Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of the sums of N1,168,602,877.44,( One Billion, One Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Two, Eight Hundred and Seventy Seven Naira, Forty Four kobo) $392,818.01( Three Hundred and Ninety Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighteen United States Dollars, One Cent) and £35,070( Thirty Five Thousand, Seventy Pound Sterling) recovered from one Muiz Tijani Adeyinka, a former employee of First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, to the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN.

The judge gave the order following a motion on notice for the final forfeiture order, which was supported with an affidavit deposed to by Isah Yusuf Nadabo, an investigator with the EFCC.

Justice Owoeye had, on November 27, 2024, ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds and also ordered the publication of the order in a national newspaper for any interested party to show cause why the various sums of money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture on Monday , February 3, 2025, counsel to the EFCC, Zeenat Atiku, stated that “The Commission, on March 26, 2024, received a petition from First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) alleging fraudulent transactions in various bank accounts within and outside First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

“ Investigation revealed that Muiz Tijani Adeyinka, who is the principal suspect, is a former staff of First Bank Nigeria Plc. He is also the MD/CEO of Golden Sieve Logistics Ltd, Golden Sieve Properties Ltd., and Golden Sieve Motors Ltd., which are all duly incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.

“He was attached to the Settlement Office of the bank and by virtue of his office, he had some inalienable access available only to the Settlement Office.”

According to Atiku, Adeyinka manipulated the settlement accounts by creating fictitious domiciliary inflows , with which he immediately transferred the Naira equivalent to himself and his cronies.

She added that “In a bid to conceal and disguise the said fraudulent proceeds derived, he laundered the same by purchasing US Dollars and USDT.

“The said proceeds were traced to his personal dollar account and crypto wallet accounts.”

Atiku further submitted that the interim forfeiture order was published in The Punch newspaper of December 5, 2024 in compliance with the directive of the court.

After listening to the EFCC’s counsel, Justice Owoeye granted the application as prayed and held that “ I have considered the application. I have examined the affidavit in support, the written address and the publication attached. The application has merit and the same is hereby granted.”