By Emmanuel Obisue
Fresh claims have emerged concerning former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba (retd.), years after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the final forfeiture of N1.825 billion linked to the former naval chief.
The EFCC had in 2017 obtained an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos for the permanent forfeiture of the N1.825 billion to the Federal Government.
The money was traced to an account associated with Chukwuka Onwuchekwa and Aquila Leasing Limited, with the anti-graft agency alleging that the funds were proceeds of money diverted from the Nigerian Navy.
According to the EFCC, Ezeoba allegedly used Onwuchekwa’s name in opening an account while retaining control of the funds.
The commission further alleged that Ezeoba subsequently entered into a memorandum of understanding with Onwuchekwa to acquire shares in Aquila Leasing Limited, in an arrangement the agency said was connected to the funds.
The EFCC put the value of the shares at N2.4 billion, while N1.825 billion had been recovered in drafts in favour of the Federal Government.
Justice Muslim Hassan subsequently ordered the final forfeiture of the N1.825 billion after the EFCC satisfied the requirements for the order.
The forfeiture followed an earlier interim order directing the commission to publish the proceedings in a national newspaper to allow any interested party to appear before the court.
Ezeoba’s counsel did not oppose the final forfeiture application but maintained that his client was not involved in fraud, arguing that the money represented his savings and had been provided for the purchase of shares.
The historical EFCC case has now resurfaced following fresh claims by top sources familiar with the matter and close to Ezeoba, alleging that proceeds associated with the financial activities were used to develop a luxurious apartment in Abuja.
The high-ranking source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, identified the property as “Vicidini Palazzo, located at No. 1 Vicidini Close, off Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja”, and said it was established with funds connected to the financial arrangements examined during the EFCC investigation.
The source described Vicidini Palazzo as a luxurious apartment and provided supporting photographs of the property which had not been verified as at the time of writing this report.
The claim concerning Vicidini Palazzo was not contained in the 2017 court proceedings cited in contemporary reports and could not independently be established from the records reviewed by our correspondent.
The EFCC’s recovery and final forfeiture of N1.825 billion, however, remain matters documented in the Federal High Court proceedings and contemporary reports of the case.
The fresh claim has therefore raised renewed questions about the movement and eventual use of funds examined during the earlier investigation.
Ezeoba has not been shown in the court proceedings cited to have been convicted of the broader allegations contained in the fresh claim, while his response to the allegation concerning Vicidini Palazzo was not available at the time of filing this report, as all efforts to reach Ezeoba on telephone, as he was out of the country, proved abortive.
