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Appeal court orders EFCC to seize Tompolo’s properties

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-Court backs EFCC to seize Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo’s assets.

-The ex-militant has failed to respond to court summons over criminal charges leveled against him by the EFCC.

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A court of appeal sitting in Lagos, has dismissed the appeal filed by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, seeking to set aside the decision of the Federal High Court, Lagos which empowered the EFCC to seize all the properties belonging to the ex-militant commander.

Justice I.N. Buba of the federal high court Lagos, , had on February 19, 2016, ordered the seizure of Tompolo’s properties by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following Tompolo’s failure to appear in court over a case of alleged crime leveled against him.

Tompolo and nine others were on criminal grounds, charged to court in 2015 by the EFCC over allegations of fraud perpetrated at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

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The court had subsequently, issued a warrant of arrest for Tompolo’s arrest over his failure to honour its summons.

However, the EFCC, through its counsel– Festus Keyamo, filed an appeal to seize Tompolo’s properties pending his arrest or appearance before the court after the commission failed in its attempts to arrest the ex militant.

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The commission’s request was granted by the court after which Tompolo challenged the judgment at the court of appeal.

But at its sitting on Thursday, the appellate court ruled that Tompolo’s private right of property had not been breached by the seizure order.

It also held that the option available to the ex-militant was to respond to the summons against him before the reversal of the seizure order can even be considered.

The court held that the option available to Tompolo is to appear before the federal high court to apply for the order to be discharged, rather than filing an appeal.