The Federal High Court Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine properties allegedly linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, pending the conclusion of legal proceedings.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through its counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe.
Although the ruling was delivered on April 24, the enrolled court order became publicly available on May 6.
The affected assets are located in several high-profile districts across Abuja, including Dakibiyu, Maitama, Wuse II, Mpape and Garki.
Among the properties listed are four blocks of terraces in Dakibiyu, a duplex with a penthouse and office complex on Niger Street in Abuja, and a standalone duplex located within Palm Springs Estate in Mpape.
Other properties include multiple residential blocks containing flats in Wuse Zone 4, Garki and Wuse II, as well as another duplex situated in Maitama.
The ninth property named in the court order is a two-block building in Garki reportedly occupied by the National Information Technology Development Agency.
In the ruling, Justice Egwuatu stated that the properties were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities and would remain under interim forfeiture pending the hearing of a motion for final forfeiture.
The court also directed that notices of the order be published in at least two national newspapers within seven days after receiving the certified true copy of the ruling. Interested parties were given 14 days to appear before the court and explain why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The matter was adjourned until May 25 for a report on compliance with the court’s directives.
The EFCC filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/607/2026 under provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, has also been mentioned in reports concerning an alleged failed coup plot against Bola Tinubu. However, no formal charges have been filed against him in relation to the allegation.
