By Mahmoud Muhammad Kano
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the forfeiture of N278.9 million and $670,000 linked to former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, to the Federal Government. The ruling was handed down by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, who ruled that the funds, held in various bank accounts, were obtained through illicit means.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had filed a petition in 2019, alleging that the funds were proceeds of corrupt activities. The commission claimed that Yari and his associates had deposited the money into accounts held with Zenith and Polaris banks.
The court noted that despite being given the opportunity, Yari failed to provide satisfactory evidence explaining the origin of the funds. Justice Ojukwu emphasized that while it is not a crime to possess large sums of money, individuals must account for the source of such funds.
The forfeited assets include N12.9 million in a Zenith Bank account linked to Yari, N11.2 million in an account belonging to Kayatawa Nigeria Limited, and $358,375 in various accounts. The court also ordered the forfeiture of N217,388 and $311,872, valued at approximately N118 million.
The ICPC had investigated Yari’s financial dealings and identified several accounts and companies linked to him. The commission’s investigation revealed that Yari had been using these accounts to launder money and conceal his illicit gains.
The forfeiture order is a significant victory for Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts. The ICPC has been working to recover stolen assets band bring corrupt officials to justice.
Yari, who served as Governor of Zamfara State from 2011 to 2019, has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers had argued that the funds were legitimate and had been properly accounted for.
The court’s decision Federal Government and used for the benefit of the Nigerian people
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