N5bn Debt: AMCON takes over mansion of Kwara ex-Governor Ahmed, a day after forming new party

The Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has seized some houses belonging to former Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed of Kwara State over a N5 Billion debt.

The houses are located at Abdulrazaq road, GRA, Ilorin.

A.M. Liman, a justice at the federal high court, Lagos division, gave AMCON the order on Wednesday. 

The action by the anti-graft agency is coming up less than than 24 hours after the former Governor joined forces with some prominent Nigerians, including ex-Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega; renowned Economist, Professor Pat Utomi and former Minister of Education, Prof Tunde Adeniran, to form a new political alliance – Rescue Nigeria Project (RNP). 

Speaking on the development, Jude Nwauzor, AMCON’s spokesperson, said the former governor is a high-profile defaulter of AMCON protocols.  

Nwauzor said despite holding “one of the highly exalted political offices” in the country, Abdulfatah remained recalcitrant over the repayment of his obligation.

“Early today and in compliance with the court order, AMCON through the Law firm of Chief Robert Ohuoba of Robert Ohuoba & Co, one of the leading Asset Management Partners (AMPs) of AMCON who also received protective orders from the court, took possession of the mansion belonging to the former Governor situate at Abdulfatah Street, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State,” the statement reads.

“AMCON had taken over the Non-Performing Loans of the former governor and his companies, Trans Properties and Investment Limited and Trans It Consulting Limited, from the former Intercontinental Bank, FinBank and Bank PHB during the first phase of EBA purchases, in line with its mandate under the AMCON Act. All efforts to peacefully resolve the loan had been frustrated by the former Governor who remained recalcitrant, which left AMCON no other choice than to seek justice in court.

“AMCON had to commence asset tracing through its appointed law firm of Robert Ohuoba & Co. on Abdulfatah Ahmed, an exercise, which further revealed nine (9) properties of the obligor situate in Kwara, Lagos State and the Federal Capital territory (FCT), Abuja, which the Corporation has plans to enforce upon.

“This action is in line with Section 49 (1) of the AMCON Act 2019 (As Amended), which states that: 49 (1) Where the Corporation has reasonable cause to believe that a debtor or debtor company is the bona fide owner of any movable or immovable property, it may apply to the Court, before or at the time of filing of action for debt recovery or other like action or at any time after the filing of action, and before or after the service of the originating process by which such action is commenced on the debtor or debtor company, by motion ex-parte for an interlocutory order granting possession of the property to the Corporation pending the hearing and determination of the debt recovery or other action to abide the decision in such action.”

Other assets of the former governor which the court granted AMCON possession over include properties on: No 13, Alhaji Masha Road, Surulere; No. 9 Wharf, Apapa, Lagos; Plot 3632, Cadastral Zone E27 of Apo, Abuja; Plot 4115, Cadastral Zone F14 of Bazango, Abuja; Plot 8502, Cadastral Zone E31 of Carraway Dallas, Abuja; Plot 494, Cadastral Zone E31 of Carraway Dallas, Abuja; Plot 719, Cadastral Zone E23 of Kyami, Abuja.

The court also ruled that AMCON should take possession of any other landed property owned by Abdulfatah within Nigeria.