AGF Malami: We Did Not Sell Recovered Assets – Firm Reacts To EFCC Arrest Of ARMU Head

The Gerry Ikputu and Associates have denied experiences linking them to the income of some federal govt recovered assets.

Kumornews understands that the agency experienced been to begin with employed by means of the place of work of the Legal professional-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to recuperate some important assets on behalf of the Nigerian authorities.

AGF Malami was stated to have earlier awarded the a number of-billion naira belongings recovery contract to Ikputu and Companions, following which the organization engaged a legislation company, M. E. Sheriff & Co, as its agent to accomplish its target.

The organization was intended to recover specific great expanses of land and buildings found in 10 states and the Federal Cash Territory (FCT), Abuja, stated to be belonging to the federal govt.

From the preliminary agreement, Kumornews learnt that Gerry Ikputu and Companions will be entitled to 3 (3) for each cent of the truly worth of every profitable recovery.

In the agreement letter, Malami reportedly experienced stated a secrecy clause that bars them from making the aspects of the operate public.

Nonetheless, the news broke last Friday that the nation’s anti-graft company arrested head of the Asset Recovery Administration Device (ARMU) of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Ladidi Mohammed.

ARMU was expected to function with the companies in recovering the homes. Mrs Mohammed’s interrogation by the EFCC, according to reviews, was based mostly on the alleged sale of the recovered belongings by Gerry Ikputu and Associates and M.E Sherriff & Co.

My Firm Has No Dealing With ARMU – Sheriff

Reacting to accusations against his agency, the principal companion of M.E Sherriff and Co, Mohammed Sheriff, said the recovered property had not been disposed of as claimed in the experiences.

Mr Sherriff on Sunday also mentioned categorically that his enterprise experienced no dealings with the ARMU.

He spelled out further that his organization was yet to be compensated for its products and services given that none of the recovered assets has been offered.

In accordance to him, one particular of the influenced qualities found in Osborne Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, was unlawfully occupied by a corporation right after the expiration of its lease agreement.

He spelled out that based on Mr Malami’s instruction, his organization (M. E Sherriff & Co) properly secured an get of remaining forfeiture of the afflicted qualities.

The forfeiture order was granted by Inyang Ekwo, a judge of the Federal Superior Courtroom in Abuja, in accordance to Mr Shefiff.

In accordance to Premium Periods, Sheriff said: “We did not even know that there is an Asset Recovery Administration Unit. Our involvement was in relation to the tracing and recovery of deserted federal federal government properties that were being becoming occupied illegally, based mostly on the presentation by some men and women, who approached our company.”

He extra that dependent on the AGF’s introduction, his agency went just before the Federal Higher Court docket in Abuja, to get an interim order of forfeiture and later obtained a remaining fortune purchase on some of the attributes, which had been yet to be bought.

The attorney explained: “On the eighth day of Oct 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria granted the request of the business of Jerry Ikputu & Associates to trace, get well and submit the abandoned Federal Authorities houses in eleven states of the federation.

“Further to the above, on the 16th November 2021 Honourable Justice I.E Ekwo of the Federal Large Court docket of Abuja granted the reliefs of M.E Sheriff of M.E Sheriff & Co and forfeited briefly property to the Federal Federal government of Nigeria all belongings as detailed on the instruction letter referred above.

“The Honourable Justice I.E Ekwo also ordered the federal governing administration to make a publication of the explained short term forfeiture inviting all individuals /bodies to, in 14 times of the order, display trigger why get of final forfeiture ought to not be designed forfeiting the attributes to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The federal government, by way of complying with the court’s get, made a publication in the Punch newspaper of the 18th working day of November 2021, specifically at website page 34.

“The court docket, soon after supplying members of the general public prospect to express curiosity in any of the federal federal government and the truth that no unique laid any declare, granted a final forfeiture in favour of the Federal Governing administration of Nigeria on the 31st January 2022.

“Anybody saying any sale arising from the recovered belongings is by this publication invited to existing a petition to the place of work of Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (HAGF) or Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),” Mr Sheriff said.