(http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=KIGO_980658039.jpg&size=article_medium) Kigo An Abuja High Court on Thursday granted leave to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to seize 108 properties belonging to the six accused persons involved in the alleged diversion of N32.8 billion Police Pension Fund.
[/size]A Permanent Secretary, Atiku Kigo and five other persons - Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Wada, John Yusufu, Veronica Onyegbula and Sani Zira are being arraigned on a 16-count charge by the EFCC.[/font]
[/size]The News Agency of Nigeria reported that they were accused of complicity in the illegal diversion of the N32.8 billion pension fund, a charge they all pleaded not guilty.[/font]
[/size]Counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, had filed an application before the court in a motion with number M11005/2012, seeking leave to seize the 108 properties allegedly belonging to the accused persons.[/font]
[/size]The EFCC, in pursuant of Section 28 of the EFCC Act 2004, attached the list of all the assets belonging to Kigo, Dangabar, Wada, Yusufu, Onyegbula and Zira in the motion.[/font]
[/size]In his ruling on the motion, Justice Lawal Gummi granted the interim order for the seizure of the properties, reportedly scattered all over Nigeria. The anti-graft agency said earlier that the accused persons perfected the alleged fraud in Abuja between January 2009 and June 2011.The EFCC alleged that the six accused persons had conspired and sequentially withdrew monies from the Police Pension Fund in an account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared same among themselves.[/font]
[/size]The case has been adjourned to May 28 for further hearing.
TheNation