BREAKING: Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of 9 properties linked to former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine properties connected to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The decision was handed down by Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu after an application brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), PulseNets learned.
The court approved the request after reviewing an ex parte motion filed by the anti-graft agency, which sought the temporary seizure of the properties over allegations that they were acquired through unlawful means, as obtained by PulseNets.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/607/2026, was instituted under the provisions of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
In the application, the EFCC asked for “an interim order of this Honourable Court forfeiting the properties listed in the schedule attached herein, being properties suspected to be proceeds of some unlawful activities, pending the publication and hearing of the motion on notice for final forfeiture order of the said property.”
The commission further urged the court to mandate public notice of the order, requesting that interested parties be given the opportunity to appear and challenge the forfeiture, PulseNets reported.
Following submissions by EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Justice Egwuatu granted the request. He ruled, “An interim order of this Honourable Court is made forfeiting the properties listed at the schedule attached herein being properties suspected to be proceeds of some unlawful activities, pending the publication and hearing of the motion on notice for final forfeiture order of the said properties.”
The judge further ordered, “An order of this Honourable Court is made directing the publication in any national newspaper of the interim order under order (1) above for anyone who is interested in the property to appear before this Honourable Court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
He added that the notice must be published in at least two national newspapers within seven days of obtaining the certified true copy of the order.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to May 25 for a report of compliance, PulseNets learnt.
The properties affected by the order are located in prime areas across Abuja. They include four blocks of terrace buildings in Dakibiyu, a duplex with a penthouse and office complex in Maitama, and a detached duplex in Palm Springs Estate, Mpape. Other assets comprise multiple blocks of flats situated in Wuse Zone 4, Wuse II, Garki, and Maitama.
Also included are buildings currently occupied by the National Information Technology Development Agency in Garki.
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The development is linked to an ongoing probe involving the former Bayelsa State governor. The EFCC had earlier declared Sylva wanted in connection with an alleged $14.8 million case tied to funds reportedly invested by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in a refinery project, PulseNets reported.
The commission had previously secured an arrest warrant against him from a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2025.
