N235.4m belonging to fraudster Invictus Obi Forfeited to FG

The Presiding Justice in a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, Justice A.M. Liman, has ordered for the final forfeiture of the sum of N235.4 million traced to the account of a convicted fraudster, Okeke Obinwanne popularly known as Invictus Obi to the Federal Government.

The said order issued against Invictus Obi by the court was contained in a statement Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC,Head, Media and Publicity, issued on Thursday.

The Presiding Justice Liman had on March 23, 2020, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money traced to Invictus Obi and domiciled in First City Monument Bank following an ex parte application dated December 18, 2019 by the Lagos zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In granting the interim forfeiture order, the judge had ordered the commission to advertise the same in any national newspaper for anyone to show cause why the said money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Following the publication of the order in a national newspaper, the commission, on June 2, 2020, filed a Motion on Notice seeking the final forfeiture of the money to the federal government.

During the proceedings on November 12, 2020, counsel to the commission, I. Sulaiman, urged the court to grant his prayers for final forfeiture of the money traced to Invictus Obi, which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

“In his ruling, Justice Liman granted the applicant’s prayers and also ordered the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government,” the statement said.

Invictus Obi, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Invictus Group, was arrested sometime in August 2019 in the United States of America (USA) and charged with two counts of computer fraud and wire fraud, to which he pleaded guilty.