Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva has denied ownership of 48 houses in Abuja as alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
There were reports on Monday that three Federal High Courts had struck out the corruption cases against Sylva, meaning that the former governor has regained access to the 48 houses, which were hitherto sealed off by the EFCC during its investigations.
Sylva, in a statement by his media aide, Doifie Buokoribo, said he owned only three houses in Abuja, but the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, insisted that the ex-governor owned the 48 houses, allegedly returned to him.
Uwujaren added that the commission had begun fresh moves to challenge the return of the said houses to Sylva before the Court of Appeal.
Buokoribo said in the statement that Sylva did “not own 48 buildings in Abuja or anywhere in the world” as neither he nor the courts had, at any time, confirmed his ownership of such properties.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Sylva does not own 48 buildings in Abuja or anywhere in the world. So the issue of reclaiming ‘48 houses’ does not arise.
“He has only three houses in Abuja, which he built before he became the governor of Bayelsa State.
“This point has been made several times before, and neither the EFCC nor those who had used EFCC as a tool of persecution against Sylva during the Goodluck Jonathan administration have contradicted this fact,” the ex-governor’s aide stated.
However, spokesman for the EFCC, Uwujaren, in a telephone interview with a correspondent from the PUNCH newspaper, confirmed the existence of the houses, adding that the agency plans to appeal the judgment.
He said: “I have just spoken to Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), who is in charge of the case. He confirmed to me that the EFCC has begun moves to appeal the case which means that he (Sylva) should have no access to the houses.”
Some of the houses, according to Uwujaren, 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 include 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 three units of three-bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766 Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.