BLESSING OMALE, Abuja
A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has ordered the final forfeiture of two tractors and two auto rickshaws belonging to Kayode Oyin-Zubair, a former Special Assistant on Community Intervention to ex-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, to the Self Reliance Economic Advancement Programme (SEAP).
Justice Haleema Saleeman delivered the ruling on Thursday, affirming that the assets in question, valued at N57.4 million, were acquired with funds traced to unlawful activities.
The decision follows the dismissal of an application by Oyin-Zubair to set aside an earlier interim forfeiture order granted in November 2024.
The ruling came after persuasive arguments from counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mustapha Kaigama, who maintained that the former aide had misappropriated funds meant for a community transport support scheme.
According to a statement issued by the Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, Oyin-Zubair, who served under Governor Ahmed between 2020 and 2023, had secured a loan from SEAP to procure 100 tricycles and 100 mini-buses.
The initiative was intended to benefit members of the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
While SEAP disbursed N192 million for the project, EFCC investigations revealed that N72 million in repayments by beneficiaries was diverted by Oyin-Zubair for personal gain.
He reportedly used part of the funds to purchase two tractors and two auto rickshaws, which were later discovered by anti-graft operatives in a warehouse along Fate Road, Ilorin.
The EFCC subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on the equipment and has now succeeded in obtaining a final ruling returning the assets to SEAP, the rightful custodian of the misused funds.
The ruling marks another significant victory in the EFCC’s efforts to recover public funds and assets misappropriated through abuse of office and fraudulent schemes.
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