- A Federal High Court ordered the interim forfeiture of nine Abuja properties linked to Timipre Sylva
- The EFCC said the assets were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities
- Justice Obiora Egwuatu directed that notices be published for interested parties to contest the forfeiture
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine properties linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to the Federal Government.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through its counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe.
Although the ruling was delivered on April 24, the enrolled order became publicly available on Wednesday, May 6.
According to court documents, the affected assets are located in several high-value districts within Abuja and are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The properties include four blocks of terraces in Dakibiyu, a duplex with a penthouse and office complex at No. 3 Niger Street, MStreet, and a standalone duplex located at Villa 1, Unit 1, Palm Springs Estate, Mpape.
Also listed in the forfeiture order is a block of flats containing 10 units at No. 8 Sefadu Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, alongside blocks of flats with six units at No. 1 Mubi Close, Garki.
Other properties include two blocks containing 12 flats at Plot 1181, Thaba Tseka Crescent, Wuse II, and another standalone duplex at No. 18 Nile Lake, Plot 1271, Maitama, Abuja.
The ninth property identified by the court is a two-block building currently occupied by the National Information Technology Development Agency at No. 5 Aguta Street, Garki, Abuja.
In the ruling, Justice Egwuatu stated that the court was satisfied that the properties should be temporarily forfeited pending further proceedings on the matter.
“It is hereby ordered as follows: An interim order of this honourable court is made forfeiting the properties listed in the schedule attached herein, being properties suspected to be proceeds of some unlawful activities pending the publication and hearing of the motion on notice for final forfeiture order of the said properties,” the judge ruled.
The court further directed that notices of the interim forfeiture be published in national newspapers to allow any interested parties to appear before the court within 14 days and show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Egwuatu approved the EFCC’s request for the publication of the order in at least two national newspapers, including ThisDay, The Guardian, PUNCH, Vanguard, Tribune or Independent Newspapers, within seven days of receiving the certified true copy of the ruling.
The matter was subsequently adjourned until May 25 for a compliance report.
The anti-graft agency filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/607/2026 under provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The EFCC argued that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means and requested the court to preserve them pending the determination of the final forfeiture proceedings.
Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, has also recently been mentioned in connection with an alleged failed coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, although he has not been formally charged in relation to the allegation.