By Suleiman Anyalewechi
A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, ordered the interim forfeiture of N1.37 billion, allegedly, diverted from the Kaduna State Treasury during the administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The said money has been traced to the account belonging to one Indo Kaduna Marts JV Nigeria Limited.
The funds are alleged to be part of the money earmarked for the construction of the, now, botched light rail project in Kaduna during the government of El-Rufai.
The order which was issued on February 28, 2025, was sequel to an ex-parte application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, ICPC, seeking forfeiture, after tracing the funds to the Company’s account.
Ruling on the application, the presiding Judge, Honourable Justice H. Buhari ,also directed the anti-graft Commission to publish in two national newspapers, calling on persons ” whether human, juristic or artificial having interest in the property to show cause in court why the afforesaid movable property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government”
Earlier, the ICPC had contended in its application of February 14, 2025, for the money to be forfeited, noting that the light rail project which it was meant for was, afterall, never executed by El-Rufai’s administration in Kaduna state.
The ICPC further averred that the funds were discovered to have been diverted into the account of Indo Kaduna MRTS JV by some Kaduna State Government officials .
Interested persons are to appear on the next adjourned date of April 8, 2025, to show cause why the funds should not be finally forfeited.
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