A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine properties linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency had asked the court to temporarily seize the assets over allegations that they were acquired through unlawful means.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/607/2026, was brought under provisions of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. In its application, the EFCC sought an interim forfeiture order pending the hearing of a motion for final forfeiture, arguing that the properties were suspected proceeds of illicit activities.
After reviewing submissions from EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Justice Egwuatu granted the request, ordering that the listed properties be forfeited to the Federal Government on an interim basis.
The court also directed that the order be published in national newspapers, giving any interested parties 14 days to appear and show cause why a final forfeiture order should not be granted. The judge further instructed that the notice be published in at least two national dailies within seven days of obtaining the certified true copy of the order.
The matter was adjourned to May 25 for a report of compliance.
The affected assets are located in high-value areas across Abuja, including four blocks of terraces in Dakibiyu, a duplex with a penthouse and office complex in Maitama, and a standalone duplex in Palm Springs Estate, Mpape. Other properties include multiple blocks of flats in Wuse Zone 4, Wuse II, Garki, and Maitama, as well as buildings in Garki reportedly occupied by the National Information Technology Development Agency.
The development is part of an ongoing investigation into Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State. The EFCC had earlier declared him wanted in connection with an alleged $14.8 million case linked to funds said to have originated from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board for a refinery investment project.
In 2025, the commission also obtained an arrest warrant against him from a Federal High Court in Lagos as the probe intensified.
