FG, Niger Govt Lose Bid To Claim N6bn Alleged Crime Proceeds

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has acquitted a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Niger State, Mr Liman Kantigi, of having any link to N6billion found in four banks.

The presiding judge, Justice Nnamdi Dingba, ruled on Wednesday that the said funds belong to the two companies whom the money was traced to.

He also refused to grant an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Niger State government, seeking the final forfeiture of the said sum of money and set aside an earlier order granting an interim forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.

Justice Dingba held that since the subject funds N6billion in contention were domiciled in bank accounts legitimately owned and operated by Katah Property and Investment Limited as well as Sadiq Air Travel Agency Limited and based on the facts supplied by the financial institutions managing the accounts, the court’s position was that the funds rightfully belong to the two companies until otherwise established.

He stated that he does not believe the application by the EFCC that the funds be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government was meritorious, noting that the anti-graft agency was not absolutely sure of its facts to date since the matter by their own submission was still under investigation.

Meanwhile, the Niger State government through the Attorney General of the state had claimed that the said money belonged to the state and was a product of Kantigi’s corrupt practices while holding various public offices.

Justice Dimgba, however, held that the allegation rested only on the foundation of suspicion and that the state government only wanted to reap where it did not sow.

Kantigi was a deputy governorship candidate in Niger on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2015 general elections.