The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) secured a final court order for the forfeiture of Hevee Hotel and the sum of N14,160,655.35, linked to a former ExxonMobil employee who was apprehended for using fake credentials.
The case involved the late Mr Okon Tom Ekpo, a former staff member of ExxonMobil Producing Company. An ICPC investigation revealed that Mr. Ekpo had secured his employment by impersonating another individual and using his academic credentials to secure a job, leading to charges against him at the Ikeja High Court.
Mr. Ekpo, entered into plea bargain discussions with the ICPC; offering to forfeit Hevee Hotel, located at Alafia Estate off the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, and the funds in his United Bank for Africa account, On 9 December 2022, the Commission filed an in Rem application for the forfeiture of the assets of the, Defendant at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi.
On 13 January 2023, Hon. Justice T. G. Ringim granted an interim forfeiture order and directed the ICPC to publish notices of the order.
The Commission complied, publishing the notices in Leadership and The Sun newspapers, as well as in a national gazette on 16 March 2023. After filing an affidavit of compliance and a motion for final forfeiture, the court granted the final order on 13 March 2024, forfeiting the hotel and the N14.1 million to the Federal Government.
Subsequently, the defendant’s wife challenged the forfeiture, alleging fraud and seeking to set aside the court orders. The ICPC Legal Team, comprising Mrs. Yvonne William-Mbata, Mrs. Roseline Eze, and Mrs. Yemisi Pereira, argued that the court was now functus officio (having no further authority) on the matter and that all due processes had been properly followed.
In a ruling on 21 November 2025, Hon. Justice Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, had a landmark Judgement where he dismissed the application for lack of merit.
The court held that no evidence of fraud had been established and affirmed that it lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter already determined by a final forfeiture order.
The ICPC has described this ruling as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s Judicial Precedent as regards In Rem proceedings in accordance with Sections 47 and 48 of the ICPC Act,2000 and also asset-recovery efforts and its ongoing campaign against corruption.
