By Nkechi Eze
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a landmark judgment as a Federal High Court in Ikoyi ordered the final forfeiture of Hevee Hotel and the sum of N14,160,655.35 linked to late Mr. Okon Tom Ekpo, a former ExxonMobil employee who was investigated for securing his job with fake credentials. The ruling marks a decisive victory in the Commission’s ongoing efforts to strengthen asset recovery and set stronger judicial precedent on in rem proceedings under Sections 47 and 48 of the ICPC Act, 2000.
In a statement issued by the Commission’s spokesperson, J. Okor Odey, the ICPC revealed that investigations established that Mr. Ekpo had impersonated another individual by using his academic certificates to secure employment with ExxonMobil Producing Company. He was subsequently charged at the Ikeja High Court. During the process, Mr. Ekpo entered plea bargain discussions with the Commission, offering to forfeit Hevee Hotel, located at Alafia Estate off the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, along with funds in his United Bank for Africa account.
Following this, the ICPC on 9 December 2022 filed an in rem application before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi for the forfeiture of the assets. On 13 January 2023, Justice T. G. Ringim granted an interim forfeiture order and directed the Commission to publish notice of the order. The ICPC complied fully, with publications in Leadership and The Sun newspapers and in the national gazette on 16 March 2023. After filing an affidavit of compliance and a motion for final forfeiture, the court subsequently granted the final order on 13 March 2024, transferring ownership of the hotel and N14.1 million to the Federal Government.
The case appeared to take a new turn when the defendant’s wife challenged the forfeiture, alleging fraud and seeking to have the court orders set aside. However, the ICPC Legal Team, comprising Mrs. Yvonne William-Mbata, Mrs. Roseline Eze and Mrs. Yemisi Pereira, argued that the court had become functus officio and that all statutory procedures had been meticulously followed.
In a ruling delivered on 21 November 2025, Justice Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, dismissed the application for lack of merit. The court held that the applicant failed to establish any evidence of fraud and emphasised that it lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter already concluded by a final forfeiture order.
The ICPC described the judgment as a significant milestone that reinforces the integrity of in rem prosecution and strengthens the legal framework for asset recovery in Nigeria.
