Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal Top Court docket, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the overall forfeiture of 20 vehicles stolen from Canada to Nigeria.
The vehicles are forfeited to the Federal Executive of Nigeria.
The pass judgement on gave the sequence following a movement on realize filed through the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee.
A observation on Tuesday through the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, learn, “The forfeited vehicles are Cloudy color SUV 400, White 4MATIC Mercedez Benz; SUV MDX SH-AWD Acura; Gray color SUV RS 350L Lexus; Deep Blue SUV RX 350 Lexus, White Toyota 4Runner 2015; White 2020 style Lexus RX 350; White 2019 Lexus RX 350, Cloudy 2020 Type Lexus RX350, and Cloudy Honda Ridgeline 2017 Type.
“Others are White Lexus RX 350 SPORT 2019 Model; Grey Lexus RX 350 2019 Model; Grey Toyota 4Runner 2018 Model; White Lexus RX 350 FS Sport 2019 Model; White Toyota Highlander XLE AWD 2017 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2020 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2018 Model; Black Mercedez Benz G550 2019 Model; Red Lexus Rx 350 2016 Model and White Mercedez Benz GLA 250 2018 Model.”
The observation added, “ On the sitting on Monday, the EFCC, thru its suggest, R.A. Abdulrasheed, instructed the courtroom that the fee had complied with the sequence of the courtroom in regards to the newsletter.
“Moving the motion for the final forfeiture order, Abdulrasheed told the court that the application was supported with a 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Olufemi Olukini, an investigator with the EFCC, and a written address.”
The EFCC, within the affidavit, said that someday in April 2022, right through an legit assembly held at 7A Okoti-Eboh Boulevard, Ikoyi Lagos between officers of the Royal Canadian Fastened Police and Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC, officers handed a reputable perception to the fee which alleged, “That over 350 vehicles, which were comprehensively listed out on an excel sheet with their respective vehicle identification Number (VIN), were stolen from various locations in Canada and shipped to Nigeria.”
The observation additional learn, “Those automobiles were bought and/or are being bought on an internet web page, www.ii.com, through some on-line distributors/brokers, week others are displayed on the market at diverse automotive stands around the nation.
“The vehicles are indexed in a complete Excel sheet along some footage and data on them. And that a few of these automobiles are intercepted on the level of access into Nigeria at Tincan Island port, Lagos.
“Our staff commenced initial investigation into the case through figuring out the Automobile Id Quantity (VIN) of every of the stated stolen automobiles and subjecting them to research the use of Observable Supply Knowledge.
“That preliminary results from the analysis revealed the vehicles were largely located across Lagos State metropolis, particularly Lekki at different car stands and places and the Nigerian ports pending clearance into the country. That surveillance was, thereafter, carried out on the identified locations, followed by sting operations which led to the physical location and identification of these vehicles.”
Proceeding, the fee additional said within the affidavit “that about 40 of the stolen automobiles have been to start with situated through the perception staff, who thereafter introduced a related utility in go well with incorrect. FHC/L/CS/2051/2023 between Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee V. WILMON AUTOS NIGERIA LIMITED & 177 ORS through which a last forfeiture sequence was once granted through Honourable Justice D. I. Dipeolu on 6 March 2024.
“That quickly later the above sequence was once granted, the perception staff additional situated the automobiles indexed in schedules 1 and a pair of of this utility, which necessitated this provide suite.
“That the thirteenth to twentieth respondents described in schedules 1 and a pair of hooked up to this utility have been recovered as a part of the stolen automobiles and shipped to Nigeria. And that the VIN of the automobiles corresponds with the ones of the stolen automobiles contained within the perception won from RCMP and nobody has come ahead to assert possession of those automobiles.
“Investigation performed discoverable that the motor automobiles described aforesaid have been stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between March and June 2022. And that these types of automobiles have been insured and the insurance coverage firms concerned had indemnified the respective house owners of the automobiles.
“The insurance coverage firms now arise within the place of the house owners and delegated their pursuits to the Royal Canadian Fastened Police liaison officer with the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria to pursue their pursuits.
“In response to the info said in paragraphs 1-13 above, this Honourable Court docket on twenty seventh Would possibly 2024 granted an utility for period in-between forfeiture and Sequence the Newsletter of the sequence. “
Justice Dipeolu, later being attentive to the submissions through Abdulrasheed, ordered the overall forfeiture of the vehicles.