The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N449,597,000 found in an abandoned Bureau de Change shop on Victoria Island, Lagos.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa ordered the forfeiture after listening to an application brought before him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge ordered that the funds should be forfeited to the Federal Government as no one came forward to claim it.
On April 19, Justice Aikawa had ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money and adjourned till today, Friday, for one Mohammed Tauheed, who was linked with the money and any other interested party to appear before him to give reasons why the money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
Counsel for the EFCC, Idris Mohammed, told the judge today that the interim order of April 19 had been advertised in the newspaper on May 11, so as to bring the case to the notice of Tauheed or any interested party.
He added that apart from the newspaper publication, Tauheed was also served with the motion on notice.
He urged the judge to order the final forfeiture of the money since neither Tauheed nor anyone else came forward to claim it.
Justice Aikawa, in a short ruling, granted the forfeiture application.