The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it sealed off The Sun newspaper’s office.
EFCC in a statement on Sunday 15th December said it marked the properties to ensure that it do not waste away since they now belong to the federal government.
“The marking is to ensure that the properties are not dissipated, following the December 5, 2019 order of Justice Muhammed Idris sitting at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos that Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, be wound up and all assets forfeited to the Federal Government,” the EFCC statement explained.
The anti-graft agency had on Saturday, 14th December 2019, marked “EFCC, Keep Off” on the building belonging Slok Nigeria Limited which houses The Sun newspaper believed to be owned by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, handed a 12 year sentence over diversion of over N7billion Abia state funds while serving as governor.
However, the national daily protested the marking of its offices by the EFCC in a statement it released on Saturday, saying that the firm was a public company which does not belong solely to the jailed federal lawmaker.
The company noted that it had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the forfeiture order issued by a Court of Appeal in 2007 and the matter was still before the apex court.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Udeh Udeogu, his Director of Finance and Accounts at the Abia state government house, were handed a-12 year sentence each for conspiring and diverting N7.65bn from the coffers of Abia state when he served as governor between 1999 and 2007.
