Moroophat Obanikoro, the wife of a former minister of state for defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has forfeited her multi-million naira property to the federal government pending the outcome of EFCC investigations into her husband and children.

Sahara Reporters writes that a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja ordered the forfeiture and also rejected a prayer asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay her the sum of N200m for violating her fundamental human rights.

Moroophat has already filed an appeal challenging the court judgment.

The court ruling follows investigations into the $2.1bn arms scam involving the Office of the National Security Adviser in which the EFCC had traced the transfer of about N4.7bn to the Diamond Bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company allegedly owned by Obanikoro’s two sons – Gbolahan and Babajide.

The Abuja mansion forfeited by Moroophat Obanikoro to the federal government. Photo: APC United Kingdom

Sahara Reporters writes that out of the said amount, Obanikoro allegedly given N3.880bn to Ayodele Fayose and Senator Iyiola Omisore in July 2014 when they were the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidates in Ekiti and Osun states respectively.

Already, the EFCC has seized a house in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State allegedly belonging to Obanikoro’s sons – Gbolahan and Babajide – and a property located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent, Katampke Extension, Abuja, belonging to their mother.

Moroophat’s Abuja mansion now in federal government hands. Photo: APC United Kingdom

However, Obanikoro’s wife argued that she bought the property over seven years before the alleged arms scam took place.

She said the EFCC had no right to punish her for any crime allegedly committed by her husband and urged the court to award her N200m.

In his ruling, the Justice Y. Halilu said he could not stop the EFCC from doing its work.