Convicted Invictus Forfeits Houses, Cars To FG

The Convict, Invictus Obi

Convicted Invictus Forfeits Houses, Cars To FG

A Lagos Federal High Court, has ordered the interim forfeiture of houses and cars linked to convicted cybercriminal kingpin, Obinwanne George Okeke, popularly called Invictus Obi.

Justice Peter Odo Lifu, who presided over the court, made the order last Friday, sequel to an Exparte motion filed and argued by Chineye Okezie, a Legal Officer in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Invictus Obi is currently serving a 10-year jail-term in America for involving in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme amounting to $11 million USD.

The houses forfeited to the Federal government are, “all that property lying, being and situate at House 4 Oakville Estate, Kado Kuchi, Abuja.

“All that property lying, being and situate at 5 bedroom duplex at Standard Estate, Kabusa, Abuja”.

While the vehicles are; a Toyota Corolla with Registration Number: RBC6238N and an unregistered Toyota Corolla Sport.

The forfeited houses and cars, according to the EFCC, will be used to restitute foreign victims of Invictus Obi’s fraud through the United States of America Consulate.

In granting the EFCC’s request, Justice Lifu held: “I have listened to the submission of the counsel to the applicant vis-a-vis affidavit filed in support. I hold in my considered view that this application is meritorious and ought to be granted 

“Consequently this application is hereby granted as prayed”.

The judge also ordered that the Commission should publish the order in a widely read newspaper in Nigeria within 14 days for any interested party to show cause why the order should not be permanently made.

He adjourned till November 30 to make a final decision on the forfeiture motion.

The EFCC supported its application with an affidavit sworn by one of its investigators, Usman Abdulhamid.

Abdulhamid noted that Invictus Obi had already fordeited N280, 555, 010, million; N240, 250, 904. 46 million and N40, 304, 106.19 million to the Federal Government.

He also states that; “On further investigation by the Commission, two more properties were traced belonging to the convict, along with two vehicles parked in the residence.

“This application is pertinent in order to restitute the victims of the fraud through the United States of America Consulate.

“This matter is of very urgent public interest and concern as it directly tarnishes the image of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nigeria among the comity of nations.

“The properties sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria by the Applicant were not procured through legitimate earnings of the Respondent but are reasonably suspected to be part of the fraudulent activities which the Respondent has been convicted for”.