Timipre Sylva
A former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has retrieved 48
of his properties seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, The Punch reports.
A correspondent who visited some of the properties, located mostly
in highbrow areas of Abuja such as Wuse II and Maitama, observed that
some of the inscription ‘EFCC, Keep Off’, on the gates or fences of the properties, had been wiped off the buildings while some of the buildings had been rented out.
The correspondent, who posed as a prospective tenant, was informed
that the rent for the properties ranged between N2.5m and N6m per annum.
He was informed that the 16 units of service apartments at Plot
1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, off IBB Way in the Wuse II area of the
Federal Capital Territory, cost N6m per annum including a N1.5m service
charge. The building provides seven hours of power supply from a
generator.
It was observed that one wing had been painted while the other was under reconstruction.
A guard at the property said, “When the EFCC sealed off this
property, it was rotting away. However, it was re-opened a few months
ago so we started to refurbish the property. We have repainted the
property and we have started renting the apartments out.”
At a block of flats, which comprises nine units (six one-bedroom
and three two-bedroom flats) located at 8, Sefadu Street, Wuse, Zone 2,
our correspondent was told that the rent ranged from N1.5m to N3m.
“Immediately the EFCC inscriptions were erased, all the flats were taken. There is no vacant apartment now,” the security guard said.
At a property located at 8 Mistrata Street, Wuse II, Abuja, it was
observed that the property was a hotel, which charged between N25,000
and N45,000 per room.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan,
the EFCC seized 48 properties from Sylva in 2013, an act which the
ex-governor described as a witch-hunt and political persecution. He was
subsequently charged with an alleged N19.2bn fraud.
The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, had said in a
statement on January 3, 2013, that the ex-governor allegedly stole funds
from the state between 2007 and 2011.
The statement read, “The EFCC on Thursday, January 3, 2013,
took possession of 48 properties of the former Governor of Bayelsa
State, Mr. Timpre Sylva, who is being prosecuted at a Federal High Court
in Abuja.
“The interim forfeiture order to attach Sylva’s property was granted by Justice A. R. Mohammed on December 21, 2012.
“Assets belonging to the former governor, against which a
forfeiture order was obtained by the EFCC, include a mansion at 3 River
Niger Street, Plot 3192 Cadastral Zone AO, Maitama District, Abuja; nine
units (comprising six one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments) at
8, Sefadu Street, Wuse, Zone 2, Plot 262 Cadastral Zone AO2, Wuse,
Abuja, and two duplexes at 5, Oguta Street, Plot 906 Cadastral Zone,
Wuse II, Abuja.
“Others are a duplex on Plot 1271 Nike Street, Cadastral Zone
AO5, Maitama District, Abuja; a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1)
Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja;
10 units of one-room apartments at 8 Mistrata Street, Plot 232 Cadastral
Zone, Wuse II, Abuja; five units duplexes on Plot No 1070 Dakibiyu
District, Cadastral Zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot
1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, off IBB Way, Wuse II, Abuja, and 3 units of
three-bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766 Cadastral Zone A01,
Garki, Abuja.”
The EFCC subsequently slammed 50 charges against the ex-governor and arraigned him before three Federal High Courts in Abuja.
However, the three courts struck out the case against Sylva, accusing the EFCC of abuse of court processes.
At the last ruling in November 2015, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the
Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out the case on the grounds that it
was an abuse of court process.
The judge held that the charges had been dismissed by two federal
high courts, and resuscitation was tantamount to an abuse of court
process.
Ademola also held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to
entertain the criminal charges against Sylva, a chieftain of the All
Progressives Congress.
He also inferred that Sylva’s case was one of persecution by people
who wanted to get at him at all cost, using the EFCC. He thereafter
dismissed the case against Sylva.
In a recent document published on its website, the EFCC said
measures were put in place to take Sylva’s case to the Court of Appeal.
A source within the EFCC described the incident as unfortunate. He said, “Now
that Sylva has reclaimed the properties, he has the right to sell them.
The moment he does that, we will not be able to recover anything from
him and our ultimate goal, which is to recover stolen funds or stolen
property, would have been defeated.”
All attempts to get a reaction from Sylva on Sunday proved abortive
as his spokesman, Doifie Ola, neither returned our correspondent’s
calls nor responded to a text message sent to his mobile.
Culled from: The Punch
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