By Abaire Olanlesi
The Federal High Court in Lagos has issued an interim forfeiture order on digital assets worth $222,729.86, allegedly linked to fraudulent activities involving Chinese and Filipino nationals.
Justice Alexander Owoeye granted the order on Monday following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by counsel Zeenat Atiku.
The motion was brought under Section 44(2)(B) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act No. 14, 2016.
The court directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper, giving any interested parties 14 days to contest the forfeiture before the assets are permanently seized by the Federal Government.
According to an affidavit by EFCC investigator Owolabi Taiwo, the assets were suspected to have been acquired through illicit means.
Intelligence reports led to a sting operation in Lagos, resulting in the arrest of 792 suspected cybercriminals and the seizure of approximately 1,000 routers, SIM cards, computers, and mobile phones.
