A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of ₦30.7 million suspected to be proceeds of fraud linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Monday after hearing an ex parte motion brought before the court by the EFCC.

The judge directed that the funds be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government and further ordered that the ruling be published in a national newspaper.

Justice Nwite ruled that any individual or organisation with an interest in the money has 14 days to appear before the court and show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the government.

He subsequently adjourned the matter to January 22 for a compliance report.

The EFCC filed the application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2775/2025, on December 23, 2025, and moved the motion on January 2, 2026.

The anti-graft agency sought an interim forfeiture order for the sum of ₦30,700,000, which it said was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.

EFCC counsel, Emenike Mgbemele, told the court that the application was brought pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

He added that the action was a non-conviction-based forfeiture proceeding.

According to the EFCC, the money was paid into the commission’s recovery account with United Bank for Africa through four managers’ cheques.

The cheques comprised three valued at ₦10 million each and one of ₦700,000, all issued in the name “M/C Draft Outstanding Account”.

In an affidavit in support of the application, EFCC investigator Bilkisu Abubakar stated that the commission commenced investigation after receiving petitions alleging fraud involving senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

She said the investigation involved intelligence gathering, bank enquiries, analysis of financial records, and correspondence with relevant agencies, including the Corporate Affairs Commission.

Abubakar disclosed that the investigation identified Adamu Yakubu, a bureau de change operator, as a key figure in the transactions under scrutiny.

She said Yakubu made a voluntary statement to the EFCC on September 2, 2025, and submitted a ledger containing transaction records and customer details.

According to her, analysis of the ledger revealed that more than ₦4 billion was transferred to several individuals and companies on the instructions of Ibrahim Sani.

Sani was identified in the affidavit as a staff member of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Abubakar stated that Sani later admitted to using Yakubu to move funds and confirmed that he regularly deposited large sums of foreign currency with the bureau de change operator.

She explained that Yakubu would then pay the naira equivalent of the funds into bank accounts provided by Sani.

She added that Sani failed to verify the source of the funds involved in the transactions.

The investigator further stated that the ₦30.7 million remained in Yakubu’s possession and formed part of the funds allegedly supplied by Sani.

According to the affidavit, both Yakubu and Sani denied ownership of the money.

Abubakar said Yakubu subsequently raised four managers’ cheques in favour of the EFCC recovery account, copies of which were attached to the application placed before the court.