Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, made an order for final forfeiture of a UK property linked to the late Jeremiah Useni, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to the Federal Government.

Justice Binta Nyako, in a ruling, held that the motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the property moved by counsel for the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Sufyan Ahmad, was meritorious and accordingly granted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that house is located at No. 79, Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW2 7SX. The CCB, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/2333/2025, had named the Administrators of the Estate of late Gen. Jeremiah Useni, the Executors of the Estate of Late Gen. Jeremiah Useni and the Property No. 79, Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW2 7SX as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

Ahmad told the court that the property sought to be forfeited is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. The lawyer, who gave four grounds why the application should be granted, submitted that the court has the inherent as well as the statutory powers to exercise its discretion in the agency’s favour.

He said the provisions of Section 7, 17, 19 and 67 of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022, and Sections 6 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (asamended) gave the court the discretionary power. He said the court granted an interim order of preservation of the said property on November 20, 2025.

The court also directed that the said order be published for persons, authority, whether corporate or otherwise, to indicate interest and file necessary process why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government. Ahmad said the order had been complied with by publishing same in a Tribune Newspaper of March 4.

According to him, no persons, authority whether corporate or otherwise indicated interest and or filed any process contesting why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The lawyer urged the court to grant their relief. NAN reports that hearing in the motion for final forfeiture of the house was, on Jan. 26, stalled due to inability of CCB to effect a proper service of the motion and hearing notice on the respondents.