The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has condemned the forfeiture of forty landed properties of a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ohanaeze described as a “hasty judgment” the ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court on Friday.
According to the statement by Ohanaeze spokesperson, Dr Alex Ogbonnia on Saturday, Ekweremadu who is in the custody of the law enforcement agencies in London, the United Kingdom over his alleged attempt at organ harvesting of a minor was not given the opportunity to defend himself before the court of law, while EFCC served a hasty ex-parte motion.
Justice Ekwo had granted the interim forfeiture order after he heard an ex-parte application that was brought before the court by the EFCC.
Attached to the ex-parte application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022, which was moved by a prosecutor at the EFCC, Ibrahim Buba, was an affidavit that identified the properties as the subject of an ongoing investigation.
EFCC told the court that the landed properties, 10 of which are located in Enugu, three in the United States of America, USA, two in the United Kingdom, UK, one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, and 15 located in the Federal Capital Territory, are suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime.
Reacting today, the supreme Igbo group said the senator is undergoing travails in the UK as it called on all Nigeria’s lawyers with good consciences to help him.
The statement reads, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide condemns the hasty judgment passed by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court to the effect that Sen. Prof. Ike Ekweremadu should forfeit his 40 landed properties.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands on a moral probity to state that a hasty exparte motion filed by the EFCC on a man who is undergoing some travails in the United Kingdom falls short of ethical standards and natural justice.
“We maintain that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu should be given the opportunity to defend himself on his properties; and if found wanting should surely face the consequences.
“We are aware that there are several allegations of corruption cases pending in the EFCC but the urgency and selective judgment in the case of Ekweremadu is not only curious but indeed true to type.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on all the Nigerian legal luminaries of goodwill to intervene against gradual steps towards totalitarianism.”
