A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of N150 million linked to Hon. Nicholas Mutu, representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, to the Federal Government after ruling that the money constituted proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice J.O. Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Thursday, July 2, 2026, granting an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the permanent forfeiture of the funds.
The anti-graft agency, through its legal team led by Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), argued that the application was brought under Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Related Offences Act, 2006.
The court had earlier issued an interim forfeiture order and directed that the decision be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to challenge the action. However, Justice Abdulmalik held that no sufficient reason was presented to prevent the final forfeiture of the money.
In his ruling, the judge considered objections and affidavits filed by lawyers representing Mutu and his company, Airworld Technologies Ltd, but concluded that the EFCC had established its case and ordered the N150 million permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
According to the EFCC, investigations revealed that Mutu allegedly received kickbacks amounting to N400.16 million from Starline Consultancy Services, a consultant engaged by the Niger Delta Development Commission, while serving as chairman of the House of Representatives committee overseeing the commission.
The commission alleged that the funds were channelled through the accounts of Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes Ltd, companies in which Mutu is said to hold the majority shares alongside members of his immediate family.
The EFCC told the court that the consultant had sought the intervention of the House committee to recover debts owed to the NDDC by oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta. Following the committee’s intervention, the companies were invited for reconciliation meetings, after which payment demand notices were issued, leading to the recovery of more than N100 billion for the commission.
While the consultant was paid its professional fees, the EFCC alleged that part of the funds was diverted to companies linked to Mutu as kickbacks.
The anti-corruption agency further alleged that while investigations were ongoing, Mutu procured the consultant to issue a backdated subcontract award to Airworld Technologies Ltd in an attempt to justify the payments and frustrate the investigation. The consultant, according to the EFCC, later admitted that the subcontract arrangement was a sham and that no work had been executed by the company.
The EFCC also stated that Mutu refunded N150 million during the investigation but later denied that the repayment was voluntary, insisting that the payments received by his companies arose from legitimate business transactions supported by the subcontract documents.
Justice Abdulmalik, however, held that the N150 million represented proceeds of unlawful activities and ordered its final forfeiture to the Federal Government.
The judgment comes as the EFCC continues its appeal against an earlier decision by Justice F.O.G. Ogunbanjo, which discharged and acquitted Mutu in a money laundering case arising from the same set of facts. According to the commission, lawyers who represented Mutu and Airworld Technologies Ltd during the criminal trial subsequently declined to accept service of the appeal processes, saying they no longer had instructions to act for their clients.
