Nigeria’s former Chief of Naval Staff, Dele Ezeoba, has lost the sum of N1.8 billion to the federal government in an alleged corruption case.

Ezeoba was appointed Chief of Naval Staff between 2012 and 2014 from his position as deputy commandant officer of the AFCSC.

Dele Ezeoba, the former Chief of Naval Staff is facing money laundering charges

A Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the temporary forfeiture of the N1.8 billion allegedly diverted from the coffers of the government while he held the position.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court gave the forfeiture order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pursuant to section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act 2006.

The report added that Chukwuka Onwuchekwa and Aquila Leasing Ltd were added by the anti-graft agency as defendants.

The prosecutor of the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the money was traced to the account of Aquila Leasing Ltd and that M. Ezeoba had agreed in his statement to the EFCC to forfeit the money.

“The money is proceeds of crime fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Dele Joseph Ezeoba,” he said adding that Ezeoba used the name: ‘Chukwuka Onwuchekwa’ to open a fraudulent account while laundering the money.

Oyedepo said Ezeoba told the EFCC that the account was opened with Onwuchekwa’s consent while he (Ezeoba) managed it.

“Neither the signature nor the driver’s licence used in opening the account was his (Ezeoba),” Oyedepo added.

The report also quotes the EFCC as saying in a desperate bid to further disguise and conceal the illicit source of the funds, Ezeoba entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to buy Aquila’s shares from Onwuchekwa, who is the managing director and that the shares were worth N2.4 billion out of which N1.8 billion has been recovered in drafts in favour of the federal government.

Oyedepo said the EFCC needed the approval of the court for Ezeoba to forfeit the sum to the federal government.

While granting the application, Justice Muslim Hassan directed the EFCC to notify the defendants in whose possession the money is to report in court and show cause within 14 days why the sum should not be permanently forfeited.

The court adjourned the case to March 29.