Ex-Army Properties MD Reacts to EFCC's N246 Million Forfeiture Claim
- Former Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) boss, Umar Mohammed, has addressed the EFCC’s statement that a court has granted the final forfeiture of shares worth N246 million
- Mohammed's legal team argued that the matter is still pending before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke
- The dispute, tied to a 2021 petition, has now escalated as Mohammed’s lawyers move to set aside the ruling, which granted the EFCC the final forfeiture
Abuja, FCT - Umar Mohammed, former managing director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), has challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over its claim that a Federal High Court in Lagos granted a final forfeiture of shares worth N246 million.
Mohammed’s legal team, in a report by Business Day, said the anti-graft agency's claim is misleading.
Source: Getty Images
The legal team further argued that the case is still pending before the court and that the EFCC ignored due process in securing the order to forfeit the shares.
Legit.ng reports that the EFCC recently released a statement that a Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the final forfeiture of 246,305,544 shares valued at about N5 billion, said to be proceeds of unlawful activities carried out during Mohammed’s tenure at NAPL.
The announcement reportedly followed a ruling delivered by Dehinde Dipeolu, the judge.
Report claims lawsuit adjourned
However, the Business Day report stated that documents obtained from the court and sources familiar with the matter reveal that the case, registered as Suit No: FHC/L/MISC/404/25, had already been adjourned by Chukwujekwu Aneke (Justice) to October 8, 2025.
According to the report, the adjournment came after Mohammed’s legal representatives, led by Olalekan Ojo (SAN), filed an affidavit on July 29, 2025, stating why the shares should not be permanently forfeited.
It was learnt that the EFCC had earlier approached the court on April 29, 2025, seeking interim forfeiture of the shares listed in schedules A, B, and C of the case. Aneke granted the interim order on May 7, 2025, and directed that it be published in a national daily, which was done on July 9, 2025. This, according to the source cited in the report, paved the way for any interested parties to challenge the application.
Mohammed’s team complied by filing its affidavit, but before the adjourned date for hearing, the EFCC returned to court during the annual vacation and secured a final forfeiture order without reference to the pending affidavit.
Forfeiture order challenged in court
On August 29, 2025, Ojo moved to set aside Justice Dipeolu’s ruling, arguing that the EFCC’s forfeiture order was granted during vacation without following due process and ignored key facts, including that the contested shares were acquired before Mohammed became NAPL’s Managing Director in 2015.
The report made reference to a similar suit over the same shares that was allegedly previously struck out in April 2025 at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The dispute stems from a 2021 petition by retired Brigadier General Isah Doma, alleged to be part of a smear campaign against Mohammed, who is said to be receiving medical treatment after more than three years of detention by the Nigerian military.
Source: Getty Images
What EFCC said about the forfeiture
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the permanent forfeiture of shares valued at over N246 million traced to Mohammed, former MD of the NAPL, to the federal government.
According to Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, Dipeolu delivered the ruling after granting an application by the commission, represented by H.U. Kofarnaisa, its counsel.
According to the agency, the shares were proceeds of unlawful activities uncovered during investigations into a petition filed by NAPL.
Source: Legit.ng
