The Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of property and cash, suspected proceeds of crime, linked to a retired Air Force Chief, Air Vice Marshal Saliu Atwodi, and his wife, Winnie.
The property, measuring about 57933.69 square metres and controlled by Vector Integrated Services Limited, is located at No. 3004 Cadastral Zone E05, Aviation Village District Abuja. The monies include $228,428.16 and N120, 546,042.02.
While ruling on an application brought by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), on Wednesday, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No14, 2006, Justice Emeka Anwuli Chikere, held that the EFCC had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the property and the said amounts are proceeds of crime as defined by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011.
He stated that, in the absence of any objection to the notice of interim forfeiture which had been published for interested parties to show cause why the assets should not be finally forfeited, the court ordered the final forfeiture of the property and monies to the Federal Government.
Atwodi was a former Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security (PICOMSS).
The multi-billion naira agency was inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and was chaired by Air Vice Marshall (AVM) Saliu Atawodi (rtd) to deal with increasing cases of maritime crimes, crude oil theft and bunkering in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.