The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned five individuals before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for allegedly tampering with a forfeited property.

The defendants—Benjamin Okoye, Moughalu David Arinze, Okey Okeke, Ekene Mgbeokwere, and Eboh Thaddeus—were brought before Justice A.O. Owoeye on a one-count charge of unauthorized dealings with a forfeited asset.

According to the charge, the defendants, alongside one Ilongwo Angela (currently at large), allegedly tampered with a property belonging to Obinna Ezenwaka, located at Plot 165C, Block 12, Amuwo Odofin, Ajayi Street, Diamond Estate, Lagos. The property had been placed under interim forfeiture to the Federal Government. The offence is said to be in violation of Section 32(1) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Hannatu U. KofarNaisa, informed the court that the EFCC was ready to proceed with trial, with a witness present.

Meanwhile, the defense counsel, M.C. Odo, representing the first to fourth defendants, applied for their bail, while counsel to the fifth defendant, N. Chukwuemeka, requested that an earlier bail order be upheld. However, KofarNaisa noted that the prosecution had not received the bail applications and that they were not before the court, a position confirmed by the judge.

Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter until January 24, 2025, for a ruling on the bail applications.

During the hearing, EFCC operative Abubakar Mohammed testified as the prosecution’s first witness. He stated that he encountered the defendants while inspecting the forfeited property, which had been marked by the EFCC's Proceeds of Crime Management Unit.

“I led a team to inspect the property on July 22, 2024, and informed the defendants that the property was under interim forfeiture. Despite this, they continued to occupy it,” Mohammed told the court.

He further testified that the defendants vacated the premises after initial resistance but were later found to have broken the padlock and resumed occupation by July 29, 2024, leading to their arrest.

The court admitted the EFCC's interim forfeiture order, dated October 6, 2017, as evidence and marked it as Exhibit A. The prosecution sought additional time to present further documents related to the final forfeiture order.

Justice Owoeye adjourned the case to February 14, 2025, for the continuation of trial.