Court Orders EFCC To Seize Tompolo’s Assets

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Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to seize the assets belonging to Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

The judge gave this order on Thursday, May 12 asking the EFCC to take charge of the assets if Tompolo fails to make an appearance in three months

Tompolo is facing charges of N45.9 billion fraud preferred against him and nine others by the anti-graft agency and has been in hiding since then.

The assets are: “His house located at No. 1, Chief Agbamu Close DDPA Extension Warri (Effurun), Delta State, A River Crew Change Boat named MUHA -15; “Tompolo Dockyard,” “Tompolo Yard,” the Diving School at Kurutie, at Escravos River; “Tompolo House” at Oporaza Town, opposite the Palace.”

The judge also gave the EFCC the authority to seize any other asset that they might discover belongs to Tompolo.

The judge however declined to authorize the EFCC to seize four companies which had been listed as Tompolo’s assets as third parties appeared to oppose the seizure.

They are Mieka Dive Ltd.; Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd.; Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd.; and Muhaabix Global Services Ltd.

The judge ruled: “Sections 80 and 81(ACJA) provide that a judge or a magistrate can at any time, after action has been taken under Section 41 of this Act, for an application made in that regard after summons or warrant has been issued but disobeyed, order the attachment of any property, movable or immovable, or both belonging to a suspect, the subject of public summons or warrant, while Section 81 provides an order under Section 80 of this Act to authorise a public officer to attach any property belonging to the suspect within the area of jurisdiction of the judge…

“This court has no doubt that the application has merit.”