A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi has upheld the final forfeiture of Hevee Hotel and N14,160,655.35 tied to the late Mr. Okon Tom Ekpo, a former ExxonMobil staff member who secured his employment with forged credentials. The decision was confirmed in a press release issued by ICPC spokesperson J. Okor Odey.
According to the release, Ekpo was investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission after it was discovered that he had impersonated another individual to obtain employment at ExxonMobil. The Commission later charged him at the Ikeja High Court for using fraudulent academic records.
During plea bargain discussions, Ekpo offered to forfeit Hevee Hotel, located at Alafia Estate off the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, along with the funds in his UBA account. This led the ICPC to file an in-rem application on December 9, 2022. On January 13, 2023, Justice T. G. Ringim issued an interim forfeiture order and directed the Commission to publish public notices, which appeared in 3 national dailies.
After the ICPC filed its motion for final forfeiture and an affidavit of compliance, the court granted the final order on March 13, 2024, transferring the assets to the Federal Government.
The release explains that Ekpo’s wife later challenged the forfeiture, alleging fraud. However, the ICPC legal team argued that the court had already concluded the matter. In a ruling delivered on November 21, 2025, Justice Owoeye dismissed her application for lacking merit, noting there was no evidence of fraud and that the court had no jurisdiction to revisit a final forfeiture order.
The ICPC described the ruling as an important milestone for asset recovery and a major judicial precedent on in-rem proceedings under Sections 47 and 48 of the ICPC Act, 2000.
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