Saturday 5 January 2013

How Just One Governor Acquired 48 Houses in Abuja



The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has seized 48 properties allegedly belonging to former Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Timipre Sylva.

The houses belonging to ex-Gov Sylva for which the order was obtained by the EFCC include:
a mansion at 3, River Niger Street; Plot 3192 Cadastral Zone AO, Maitama District, Abuja; nine units comprising six one-bedroom and 3 two-bedroom apartments at 8, Sefadu Street, Wuse Zone 2; Plot 262 Cadastral Zone AO2, Wuse, Abuja.

Others include two duplexes at 5, Oguta Street; Plot 906 Cadastral Zone Wuse 11; a duplex at Plot 1271, Nike Street, Cadastral Zone AO5, Maitama District, Abuja; a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1) Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja. It also include 10 units of one-room apartments at 8, Mistrata Street; Plot 232, Cadastral Zone, Wuse 11, Abuja; 5 units duplexes at Plot 1070, Dakibiyu District, Cadastral Zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot 1181, Thaba Tseka Crescent, Off IBB Way, Wuse 11, Abuja and 3 units of three-bedroom flats at 1, Mubi Close, Plot 766, Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.

The suit is adjourned till January 10. But Sylva has denied that the properties seized by the EFCC were owned by him. The former governor, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Doifie Ola, faulted the EFCC's claim on the seized properties.

“The houses in question do not belong to Sylva. Sylva’s properties are intact and fully covered by the order validly issued by Justice M.M. Kolo of the Abuja High Court on December 27, 2012.

“Sylva had applied to the court for an interim order of court for the service of the originating process on the respondent to serve as a stay of all actions in respect of the properties – Plot 262, Cadastral Zone A02, Wuse 1, District, Abuja; Plot 3192, located within Cadastral zone A06 Maitama District, Abuja; Plot 232, Cadastral Zone A07,( 8, Mistrata Street, Wuse II, Abuja) – by the respondents, their agents, privies, representative or any other person deriving his/her authority from them; either by sealing off, confiscating, ejecting any person from the properties, trespassing into the properties or doing any other thing how ever so described relating to the said properties pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“This application was granted and hearing in the matter is fixed for January 4, 2013.

“Justice A.R. Mohammed never granted any temporary asset forfeiture order to the EFCC on December 21, 2012. Rather he directed EFCC to put Sylva on notice and the substantive matter is fixed for January 10, 2013.
“ EFCC as a creation of the law cannot be seen to be acting lawlessly and with impunity,” the statement said.

But according to a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the interim forfeiture order was granted by Justice A. R. Mohammed.

You may wish to know that ex-Gov Sylva is facing trial at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for allegedly misappropriating N6.46bn public funds while he was the governor.

Sylva was first arraigned on June 5, 2012.

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