A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a final order for the forfeiture of Sunflower Hotel Ltd., a multi-million naira property in Kaduna State, linked to Prof. Vincent Tenebe, former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), to the Federal Government.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the order following a motion for final forfeiture presented by F.O. Dibang, representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Order is hereby made forfeiting the property listed in the attached schedule, found in the respondent’s possession and reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” ruled Justice Ekwo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that this order, dated October 22, was made public on Monday (today, October 28) in Abuja, the FCT.
The case, filed under reference FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2024, lists Sunflower Hotel Ltd. as the sole respondent, with the property located on Sunflower Crescent, Unguwan Maigero Road, Narayi, Kaduna.
Initially, on February 16, Justice Ekwo approved an EFCC request to preserve the hotel, ordering the agency to publish this preservation order within 14 days through a national newspaper, their website, or any other suitable medium.
This notice aimed to inform any interested parties to claim ownership and justify why the hotel should not be forfeited to the government. A follow-up report was scheduled for March 5.
According to an affidavit filed on June 21 by Dare Opeyemi, an operative in the EFCC’s Economic Governance Section, the commission had received intelligence in December 2022 alleging that Prof.
Tenebe and others, including Monday Onyeme (a former Chairman of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue), were involved in conspiracy, theft, and diversion of public funds.
The investigation found that Onyeme, during his tenure as NOUN’s Bursar, collaborated with others to channel university funds into businesses in which he held interests.
Further investigations indicated that funds diverted from NOUN accounts were funneled into Crossbill International Limited, a company owned by Adamu Danlami, as well as entities such as Wanone Investment Limited, Tanadi Limited, Namutane Foundation, and Sunflower Hotel Ltd.
Financial records provided by EFCC linked these transactions to Prof. Tenebe, revealing that ₦275,081,896.09 was allegedly used in constructing the hotel.
Documents show that Prof. Tenebe acquired Sunflower Hotel Ltd., initially an incomplete structure, from Yakubu Mamman Akhagbeme, his brother-in-law, with funds suspected to be illicitly diverted from NOUN’s accounts.
Although he did not hold any formal ownership in Sunflower Hotel Ltd., other directors associated with the company include Rabi Ado Tenebe, Yakubu Akhagbeme, Mohammed Angulu Yakubu, Amashigi Rabi Mustapha, Dickson Akhagbeme Onomoso, and Abrahim Ado Tenebe.
The EFCC complied with the initial order by publishing it on its website and in Leadership newspaper on March 5, yet no objections were filed by any individuals or organizations within the allowed period.
Consequently, the commission sought a final forfeiture order to secure legal control over the property on behalf of the Federal Government, asserting that it would be in the public’s interest to permanently confiscate the hotel as a suspected asset derived from crime.
