JUSTICE Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered that the sum of N2.7 billion which was recovered from former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun, should be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

Olatoregun gave the order on Wednesday following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in June last year.

Recall that on November 12, 2018, Olatoregun granted a temporary forfeiture order for the sum of N2.2 billion which the EFCC said it recovered from Amosun, as well as the sums of N190 million and N101 million recovered from Olugbenga Gbadebo, a former Director of Finance and Budget at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF),  and Solomon Enterprises, a company linked to Amosu, respectively.

An order was also given for the EFCC to publish the forfeiture order in two national newspapers so that interested parties can come forward with reasons the monies should not be permanently forfeited the Federal Government.

In a counter affidavit filed by Amosu and another interested party, Bolaji Adigun, an air vice marshal, they claimed that the funds were from their personal businesses and not from any illegal or corrupt activity.

But Justice Olatoregun dismissed the counter-affidavits on Wednesday. She held that there was no proof that the funds were legally acquired.

“Upon examination of the two applications asking the interim orders to be set aside, dated July 28, 2018. from the first respondent and the interested party, I found nothing to set aside the order, and the applications are hereby dismissed,” Olatoregun said.

“I hereby order the final forfeiture of these sums to the Federal Government of Nigeria: N2,244,500,000, N190,828,978.15 and N101 million.

“The funds should be paid into the nominated GTB treasury single account of the Federal Government and an affidavit of compliance filed within 14 days.”

Amosun and two others are also standing a separate trial before Justice Mohammed Idris of the same Federal High Court, Lagos. They were accused by the EFCC of defrauding the Nigeria Air Force to the tune of N21 billion using several proxy companies.

These funds, according to the EFCC, was used by the accused persons to purchase luxury properties in choice locations in Abuja and Lagos.