Retired Major General U.M. Mohammed has asked a Federal High Court to overturn EFCC’s forfeiture of ₦5bn shares.
He insists the investments were acquired legally before his Army Properties Limited appointment.
Retired Major General U.M. Mohammed, a former Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), has submitted a motion to the Federal High Court in Lagos. He is seeking to overturn an order that granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) final forfeiture of shares valued at approximately ₦5 billion.
The EFCC had obtained the order on August 26, 2025, arguing that 246,305,544 shares across multiple companies were acquired with proceeds from fraudulent sales of NAPL properties during Mohammed’s tenure.
The disputed holdings include investments in Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Conoil Plc, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Eterna Plc, Flour Mills Plc, Japaul Gold & Ventures Plc, NASCON Allied Industries Plc, Oando Plc, University Press Plc, and Vitafoam Nigeria Plc.
In a motion on notice, Mohammed asserted that the shares were legally acquired between September 3, 2007, and September 1, 2015, which were years before his appointment as NAPL Managing Director on October 15, 2015.
An affidavit filed by his associate, Joseph Effiong, supported this claim, stressing that the shares listed in the EFCC’s schedules were not proceeds of crime. “The shares … were purchased long before ex-Major General U.M. Mohammed was posted to NAPL as the managing director,” Effiong stated.
The ex-general alleged that he was denied a fair hearing, claiming that his affidavit filed on July 29, 2025, to show cause was ignored. He argued that the case, which was initially scheduled to be heard on October 8, was brought before a vacation judge without any notice to him or his counsel.
He maintained that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to comply with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act of 2006, which establishes strict timelines for final forfeiture applications. According to him, the anti-graft agency neglected to file its application within the required 60 days following the interim forfeiture order granted on May 7, 2025, as stipulated by the Crime (Recovery and Management) Act of 2022.
Mohammed’s application seeks to set aside the forfeiture proceedings entirely, arguing both substantive and procedural non-compliance by the EFCC. He insists that the final forfeiture order, made in favour of NAPL, is void for failing to respect his constitutional right to a fair hearing.
The court has not scheduled a hearing date for the application yet. Legal analysts note that the outcome could set an important precedent in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against corruption, particularly regarding the management of asset forfeiture cases.
