The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) management told the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday the 46 properties the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seized from the former chairman, Ngozi Olejeme, belonged to the agency.
The assets include houses and parcels of land in Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, and Abuja.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo had on July 1 granted the EFCC’s request for the temporary forfeiture of the properties.
The judge also directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily to enable anyone with interest in the affected properties to show cause, within 14 days, why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
READ ALSO: How suspended NSITF management misappropriated N48bn using fake contracts —Ngige
When the case came up on Wednesday, the NSITF management said in an application filed by its counsel, Okereke Ezechi, the assets belonged to the agency.
Ezechi urged the court to pass the properties to NSITF should they be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
According to him, the NSITF was the principal victim of the crimes allegedly committed by Olejeme, who served as the chairman of the agency’s management board from 2009 to 2015.
The counsel added that assets were acquired by the former chairman with funds stolen from NSITF.
Opinions