The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of a United Kingdom property linked to late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni, to the Federal Government.
Delivering the ruling on Tuesday, Justice Binta Nyako granted a motion filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), which argued that the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
The property, located at No. 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London, had earlier been placed under an interim forfeiture order on November 20, 2025. The CCB subsequently published a public notice inviting interested parties to contest the action, but no claims were filed.
Court Case and Legal Grounds
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2333/2025, listed the administrators of Useni’s estate and the property itself as respondents.
Counsel to the CCB, Sufyan Ahmad, relied on provisions of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to justify the application for final forfeiture.
Investigation Findings
Investigations by the bureau’s Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting Unit revealed that Useni’s declared earnings during his time in public office could not account for the acquisition of the London property.
Authorities said the discrepancy pointed to the likelihood that the asset was funded through undeclared or illicit sources.
UK Tribunal Confirms Ownership
Further strengthening the case, a United Kingdom tribunal — the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) — ruled in case REF/2023/0155 that Useni was the beneficial owner of the property.
The tribunal found that the property had been purchased using a fictitious identity to conceal ownership. Claims by individuals, including one “Ms Tali Shani” and a lawyer, were dismissed after the court determined that the supporting documents were fraudulent.
Court Ruling
Justice Nyako held that the forfeiture aligns with the interest of justice and supports Nigeria’s legal framework for recovering proceeds of unlawful activities.
The ruling effectively transfers ownership of the UK property to the Federal Government of Nigeria, marking another step in ongoing efforts to strengthen asset recovery and anti-corruption enforcement.
