Saraki’s Ikoyi houses: Court adjourns case to Dec. 16

Justice Liman Mohammed, sitting at the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday adjourned further to December 16, for lawyers to adopt their written addresses in a proceeding by the EFCC seeking final forfeiture order on two Ikoyi houses belonging to the former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki

The court had earlier refused to grant the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for a final forfeiture order on No. 17 and 17 A Mc Donald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos belonging to Saraki and instead adjourned to take oral evidence.

Two witnesses testified yesterday against the former Senate President.

They were Afis Yusuf, a civil servant and cashier, attached to the Ministry of Finance, Ilorin, in Kwara State and Olumide Sadiq, one of the operatives who investigated the case.

Yusuf informed the court that every month he would normally hand over N100 million to one Mr Abdul

Adama from the money meant for security and contingency vote.

Kehinde Ogunwunmiju, SAN, Saraki’s lawyer however told the court during cross examination that Yusuf still continues to collect funds from Kwara State’s account even after Saraki’s tenure.

Ogunwunmiju added that Afis was facing trial in which EFCC had promised to set him free if he could help them to nail Saraki.

In his evidence, Sadiq insisted that Saraki collected loans from GTB to purchase the two Ikoyi houses from the Presidential Implementation committee on Federal Government landed properties but added that the loans were repaid with money from Kwara State coffers.

He said further that money was also brought in from Sky View Properties account to repay the loan.

The EFCC also sought to bring in a fresh witness but the court ruled against it.

Saraki’s lawyer however informed the court that the two Ikoyi properties were paid for with loan and not with Kwara State government fund.