The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja, has ordered that the 86 luxury vehicles, with four houses and a quarry plant in Abuja, belonging to a civil servant, Mr. Ibrahim Tumsah, be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.
The luxury vehicles were allegedly seized from Tumsah, a director in the federal Civil Service.
Tumsah is said to be the Director of Finance and Account in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
All the 86 vehicles, 23 of which were said to be armoured, linked to him, were described by detectives as brand new.
The court’s forfeiture orders also affected four houses, two of which are located in Wuse II; one in Wuse Zone 7, and the other in Jabi, all in Abuja.
Also to be forfeited to government by the court’s orders, is a quarry in Kuje, Abuja, which was said to have been seized from Tumsah.
Eight containers, with household items, also seized from Tumsah, are affected by the court order.
The 86 vehicles, the landed assets and the other items were said to have been found on November 17, 2017, in a warehouse located on the premises of the house at 22 Igbani Street, Jabi, Abuja.
Court papers obtained on Wednesday showed that Justice Muawiyah Idris of the FCT High Court made the interim forfeiture orders on December 6, 2017.
The judge made the orders following an ex parte application filed on November 23, 2017, by the recently constituted Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal Government.
The panel is chaired by the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecutions, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla.
The judge granted the interim forfeiture order after the panel’s lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, argued the ex parte motion on December 6, 2017.
The court, in its ruling, granted the orders authorising the panel “to freeze” all the items listed in the schedule attached to the ex parte motion “pending full investigation on the serious criminal allegations that were brought against the respondents” – Tumsah and brother, Tijjani Tumsah.
But the judge also ordered that the panel’s ongoing investigation must be completed within three months.
He then adjourned until March 6, 2018.
Some of the 86 cars listed with their chasis numbers and colours in the schedule attached to the panel’s ex parte motion include Wrangler Jeep (black), Audi ASL (ash), Toyota Hilux (white), Taurus Ford (red), Mercedez Benz S550 (red), Mercedez Benz GL 550(black), Toyota Land Cruiser V6 (black), Toyota Prado Jeep (white), Jaguar (ash), another Toyota Hiluz (white), Toyota Highlander, and another Mercedez Benz S550 (black).
Also on the schedule are two Golf GTI cars (both black), Hyundai Veloster (red), Wrangler (red), Chevrolet (ash), Mercedez Vaneo (ash), Infinity FX50 (ash), Honda 2008/9, Jaguar XF (silver), Sahara Jeep (grey), BMW 7 Series (dark ash), Mercedez E550 (silver), Toyota Avalon (dark ash), Mercedez CLK 550 (ash), Cayenna Porche (black), Toyota Camry 2009 (sky blue), Jeep SRT Chirokee (silver), BMW GT550 (white) and BMW R8 2 Series (black).
