Court Grants ICPC Right To Confiscate N.6m

Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the powers to confiscate N601,249.60 fraud proceeds recovered from Jerry Onyebuenyi.

ICPC in a motion filed before Justice Okeke, sought the permission of the court to seize the money which was part of N1, 230, 000 that was fraudulently acquired by Onyebuenyi from a victim, Abdullahi Suleiman Abdullahi, while posing as the former Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Inde Dikko.

The Commission in the motion accused Onyebuenyi of impersonating Dikko with the intent to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians by promising them employment with NCS and giving out vehicles and containers at cheap prices through auctions.

He was accused of posing as Dikko to fraudulently receive N1.23 million from Abdullahi through his Union Bank account in Asaba, Delta State, in exchange for a car and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

ICPC told the court that a petition by Abdullahi led the Commission to the fraudulent activities of Onyebuenyi, who was using a fake platform called Inde Dikko Foundation based in Asaba, to swindle unsuspecting Nigerians of their money in the belief that NCS will offer them jobs, auction vehicles and containers.

The Commission affirmed that the move to seize the money would forestall any attempt by the accused to defraud other people. It added that Onyebuenyi who was arrested by the police after his bank was alerted of his nefarious activities by the Commission, has since jumped bail and remains at large.

Justice Okeke in his ruling directed that the sum of N601, 249.60 proceeds of fraud domiciled in account number 0038977469 with Union Bank PLC, Asaba Branch, Delta state, be paid into the Recovery Account of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).