The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final seizure of N150 million connected to Nigerian lawmaker Nicholas Mutu for the federal government.
Mr Mutu is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He switched from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in mid-2025. He has served six terms in the House of Representatives, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in Delta State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced this in a statement on Friday. The statement was from Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media and Publicity.
According to the EFCC, Judge Joyce Abdulmalik “made the order on Thursday after granting its application for the final forfeiture of the money.”
The EFCC explained that after reviewing the application, Judge Abdulmalik “held that it had merit and ordered the final forfeiture of the said funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
“Justice Abdulmalik found that the said sum of N150m refunded by Mutu constituted proceeds of unlawful activities and consequently finally forfeited it,” the statement added.
The anti-graft agency stated that its legal team, led by Ekele Iheanacho, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed the application under Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The EFCC reminded the public that the court had previously granted an interim forfeiture order. It had directed the publication in a national newspaper. The EFCC said that “no sufficient cause was shown why the funds under the interim forfeiture should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.”
Thursday’s judgment is different from the earlier decision of another Federal High Court judge in Abuja, Folashade Giwa-Ogunbajo. In April, she discharged and acquitted Mr Mutu of N320 million money laundering charges from the alleged fraudulent transactions. In her ruling, she said the funds were not proven to be proceeds of crime. The EFCC has appealed this decision.
The EFCC stated that its investigation showed Mr Mutu received kickbacks totaling “N400,159,689.63 from Starline Consultancy Services, an NDDC consultant.” This happened while he was chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It alleged that the money moved through the Heritage Bank accounts of Mr Mutu’s companies, Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes Ltd, where it was laundered.
The commission noted that Mr Mutu is a director and majority shareholder in both companies. The other shareholders and directors are his wife and immediate family members.
According to the EFCC, the consultant approached the House committee to help recover debts owed by oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta. The consultant sought the committee’s help to make the companies pay the debts.
The EFCC explained that after the committee’s help, the oil and gas companies came before the House. The consultant reconciled the outstanding debts with them.
Later, the committee sent payment demand notices to the companies, leading to the recovery of over N100 billion for the NDDC. The EFCC alleged that while the consultant got its professional fees, Mr Mutu’s companies also received part of the funds.
The commission further alleged that while the investigation was on, Mr Mutu made the consultant issue a subcontract letter in favor of Airworld Technologies Ltd to hide the kickback payments.
The EFCC said the subcontract was meant to “cover up the kickback payments,” mislead investigators, and obstruct justice.
Mr Mutu refunded N150 million during the investigation but later said he did not do so willingly, the statement said. He claimed the payments to his companies came from legal transactions and used the subcontract documents from the investigation to support his claim.
But the EFCC stated that the consultant later confirmed the subcontract was “merely a ruse” and that Mr Mutu’s companies did no work under that agreement.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the EFCC charged the lawmaker along with Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes Ltd on 13 counts of money laundering and gratification involving N320 million. The charges relate to alleged illegal payments made while he led the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between August 2014 and August 2016.
The trial judge in that case, Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, set 23 March for the judgment, according to an EFCC statement at the time.
However, the EFCC noted in its current statement that it has appealed the earlier discharge and acquittal of Mr Mutu in his “money laundering trial before Judge Ogunbanjo.” The appeal is based on the same facts and evidence.
The EFCC added that after the notice of appeal was served, P. I. N. Ikwueto, SAN, who represented Mr Mutu in the criminal trial, said he had not been told to collect the appeal documents for his client. The EFCC stated that J. O. Asoluka, SAN, who represented Airworld Technologies Ltd, said the same thing.
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