Presidential panel seals off Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi’s property in Delta, Lagos

The Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property on Saturday sealed off some properties in Lagos and Delta states linked to Delta-North Senator, Peter Nwaoboshi.

The Chairman of the panel, Okoi Obono-Obla, disclosed this on Sunday while sharing with journalists 12 photos he captioned ‘Sealing up of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi’s suspicious assets carried out by operatives of SPIP this weekend in Warri, Asaba and Lagos.”

The action was said to have followed the July 2, 2019 ruling of Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the interim forfeiture of 11 properties and 22 bank accounts linked to the senator.

Justice Taiwo had issued the order of interim forfeiture following an ex parte application by the panel, which described the assets as suspicious or suspected to be far beyond the senator’s legitimate income.

Although, the panel’s lawyer, Celsus Ukpong. had applied for interim forfeiture of 14 landed assets, the judge only granted the request in respect of 11, as he exempted three of them without addresses.

Some of the affected properties include Suiming Electrical Company (RC 1090069); PON Filling Station; and a multi-billion naira estate under construction, all in Asaba, Delta State.

They also include Cartage Cinema located at Okpanam Road; Newbridge Filling Station; and a house at No. 8 Monu Olarewaju Crescent, GRA, also in Delta State.

The rest are a multi-million building located at 41 Buma Road, Apapa, Lagos; Guinea House at 27 Marina Road, Apapa, Lagos; Plot 3011B Kuranah Close, Maitama, FCT, Abuja, and Ceedeez School Hall Airport Road, Asaba Delta State.

Those exempted are a plot on C of O No. 16800, plot on C of O No. 16711 and a plot on C of O 13988.

The judge also ordered the interim forfeiture of 22 bank accounts with Zenith Bank, Access Bank and Sterling Bank linked to Nwaoboshi.

The judge’s order read in part, “It is hereby ordered as follows: That interim order is hereby made forfeiting all the property alleged to belong to the 1st respondent being suspicions assets or assets far beyond the legitimate income of the 1st respondent, particularly those on the amended schedule to this application pending the investigation

“That an order is hereby made restraining the 2nd to the 5th respondents from posting any debt or making any withdrawals on all the accounts belonging to the 1st respondent (Nwaoboshi) particularly those on the amended schedule attached to this application.

“That the properties listed in the schedule attached in this order that carry no address, i.e. items 6, 7 and 8 are exempted from this order.”

The judge adjourned till October 8.