Justice M.T.M Aliyu of Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, the state capital, has ordered a temporary forfeiture of six houses and three filling stations, believed to be proceeds of economic sabotage, forgery and theft of petroleum products to the federal government.
The judge gave the order while ruling on a ex-parte motion brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC against some suspected Kaduna-based oil fraudsters.
The EFCC alleged that the affected properties were proceeds of crime by some independent oil marketers and oil depot representatives, who conspired with some staffs of the PPMC/NNPC Kaduna Depot to illegally lift petroleum products.
The affected oil marketers and oil depot representatives are: Abdulkadir Mohammed Salihu, Nurudeen Abdullahi Musa, Husseini Ahmed Abdulkarim, Ahmed Adamu, Yusuf Olaide Rauf, Ahmed Sa’ad Yerima, Agbo Otache and Bala Ibrahim.
It was further discovered that Salihu, who is a sales assistant in the Kaduna Depot and Musa, an employee of Softech Computers Limited, the consultants engaged to develop and maintain a billing software for the PPMC/NNPC conspired with other suspects and lifted petroleum products worth N6, 843, 200,519. 69 (Six Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty-three Million, Two Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Nineteen Naira, Sixty-nine Kobo), using different companies and diverted the proceeds to their personal use.
The forfeited properties are: a storey building and its appurtenances, situated at No.2 Kpak Crescent, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna; a building referred to as Eight Block “CC”TPO, 639A; National Eye Centre, Kaduna, situated on No.5 Layin Sarki Street, Mahuta Kaduna; a building on No.5 Rano Road, Kinkinau, Kakuri, Kaduna and twin flats on Zulaihatu Daura Close, Rigachikun, Kaduna.
Others are: a building on Danjuma Toro, situated between No. 37 & 41, Kinkinau, GRA, Kaduna; a building on No.20 Kabwir Road, Kabala, Kaduna; a fuel station known as “Aminu & Salihu Ltd, situated in Sabon Gayan, along Jos Road, Kaduna; a fuel station, known as Fasir Energy Limited, situated along Dogon Dowa Road, Kaduna and a fuel station, known as Otache Oil & Gas Limited, situated on Kujama-Kachia, Road, Kaduna.