I’m not the owner of N1.8bn properties forfeited to FG, ex-NDDC Director cries out

A former Executive Director of Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Tuoyo Omatsuli, has denied being the owner of the N1.8bn properties the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Omatsuli made the denial while reacting to the judgement of a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.

The court had, last Wednesday, affirmed the final forfeiture of the properties to the FG.

The former NDDC boss stressed that it was malicious to link him to the said properties which the owners were already challenging in court.

In a statement on Friday, the former NDDC Director of Projects, who claimed he had no investment in the real estate sector, added that reports linking him to the seized properties were fabricated and untrue.

He maintained that he had earlier filed and sworn to an affidavit that he was not the owner of the forfeited properties situated in Lagos.

Omatsuli expressed surprise why he was being linked to the properties when Westfield Energy Resources Ltd and Francis Momoh were already in court, separately, claiming ownership of the controversial properties in court with the EFCC.

Recall that Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, had, on Monday, December 10, 2018, in a case brought before it by EFCC, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties alleged to be owned by Francis Momoh.

Not satisfied with the order of the lower court, he approached the appellate court seeking to set aside the order of the lower court while contending that the said properties rightfully belonged to him.

But in a judgment read by Justice Daniel Kalio, the appellate court held that Momoh did not place any material before the court “to enable it to disturb the findings of the lower court” that the said properties were his.

The properties ordered to be forfeited included Block 117, Plot 4, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, TPAO 992, Ikate Ancient City, Eti-Osa L.G.A, Lagos, measuring 1804.089Sqm and Plots 1-18, Block 43, TPAO 992, Ikate Ancient City, Lekki Peninsula, Eti-Osa, Lagos, measuring 10,000Sqm.

Others were Plot 1b, Northern Business District, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, measuring 1000Sqm and Plot 1; Block 25, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme 1, Eti-Osa L.G.A, measuring 2989.10Sqm, to the Federal Government.

Omatsuli, according to the statement, noted that he was surprised to read on various news platforms reports linking him to the owner of the properties.

He also denied receiving kickbacks from contractors while serving as director of projects of the Niger Delta interventionist agency – NDDC.

He urged the public to disregard the said reports, adding that he has directed his lawyers to thoroughly study the reports wrongfully linking him to the said properties as owner.

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