Falana denies buying Abuja property from EFCC

By Adebisi Onanuga

Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has denied ownership of an Abuja property situated at 42, Gana Street, Maitama District, Abuja.

Falana said there was no truth in the story that he bought the property from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He gave the clarifications in a statement titled: “I have never bought any property from the EFCC”.

He also explained though his law firm initially expressed interest in the property it withdrew before transaction could be completed.

Explaining further, the activist lawyer denied the disputed property allegedly recovered by the Pension Reform Task Force was valued at N6 billion but sold to him for N1billion sometime in 2015.

“I wish to say, without any fear of contradiction, that the property in question was never recovered by the Presidential Pension Task Force.

“It is on record that the property was used as collateral by the owner, A. Group Properties Limited for a loan from Bank PHB in 2008. When the owner of the property defaulted in the payment of the loan it was taken over by the Asset Management of Nigeria (AMCON) via an order of interim forfeiture.

“However, in an attempt to liquidate the loan the owner of the property wanted to sell it. My law firm agreed to buy the property for N250million.

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“But we withdrew from the transaction due to the delay in resolving the case. Up till now, the case is still pending at the Federal High Court.”

He cited the order of Justice E.S. Chukwu of an Abuja Federal High Court in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/569/2015 granting possession of the property to AMCON in November 2015 to buttress his argument.

Falana challenged the Federal Government to proceed to forfeit the alleged N1 billion purportedly paid by him and recover the property if it established that it was recovered by the Pension Task Force.

He also recalled: “Sometime in April 2017 an online medium, sponsored by the Federal Government, claimed falsely that the EFCC had handed over a property confiscated from a former governor of Bayelsa State, the Late Chief D.S.P Alamieyesigha to me.

“The malicious publication was dismissed when it was revealed that all confiscated properties from the ex-governor had been handed over to the Bayelsa State Government by the EFCC. “