Court Grants Final Forfeiture of Two Luxury Cars, Interim Forfeiture of $20,000, CFA 110,000

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has granted the final forfeiture of two cars, a White Bentley Coupe and a Blue Toyota Venza, linked to one German Daniel Onoriede.

Additionally, the judge granted interim forfeiture of the sums of $20,000( Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) and CFA 110,000 as well as a blue Nissan Almera car.

Justice Dipeolu granted the forfeitures following a motion ex-parte filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos through its counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture of the cars on Friday, August 1, 2025, Kofarnaisa told the court that the application was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Bufa Okangbe, an investigating officer of the EFCC.

In the affidavit, Okangbe told the court that “On the 14th day of August 2023, operatives of the Commission carried out a sting operation, where a number of suspected internet fraudsters were apprehended in different apartments within the Ocean Bay Estate, Lekki, Lagos State.

“The operatives visited the apartment of one of the suspects identified as German Daniel Onoriode, who absconded and evaded arrest by operatives of the Commission.”

She further stated that “Two of the suspect’s vehicles, a white Bentley Coupe with chassis number SCBFE63WXCC077771 and a blue Toyota Venza with registration number LS368GY, were recovered by operatives of the Commission in his apartment.

“During investigation, documents relating to the importation of the Bentley Coupe, which were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, were recovered by the Commission.

“Further investigation revealed that the suspect operates several bank accounts, including a Naira account and a Dollar account. The sum of over N500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million Naira) was credited into his accounts between 2018 and 2023 from fraudulent sources.”

Justice Dipeolu, having been fully persuaded with the evidence presented before the court, granted the application, as prayed.

Regarding the interim forfeiture order, Kofarnaisa told the court that the application was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Solomon Usman, an investigating officer of the EFCC.

Usman told the court that “On the 13th day of July 2025, operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service, NSC, were carrying out a sting operation along the Seme Border in the Badagry Division of Lagos State, wherein a suspected fraudster driving a sky blue Nissan Almera vehicle with chasis number SJNFAANI6U0508962 was tracked down.

“The driver, upon sighting the operatives of the NSC, alighted from the vehicle and fled into a bush along Baba Pupa close to the Seme Border area of Lagos State, thereby evading arrest.

“The suspected fraudster abandoned his car. After a physical examination of the vehicle by the officers, a total sum of $20,000 (Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) and CFA 110,000 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand CFA) were discovered in the abandoned vehicle.”

Kofarnaisa, thereafter, told the court that the monies and car were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities and also prayed the court to order their forfeiture.

Consequently, Justice Dipeolu granted the interim forfeiture and also directed the Commission to publish the interim order in any national newspaper to enable any interested person to appear before the court and show cause why the funds and property should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.