Court orders forfeiture of N150 million from lawmaker Mutu

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of 150 million naira linked to lawmaker Nicholas Mutu to the Nigerian government. The order was granted by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Thursday, July 2, 2026, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The funds were forfeited after the court found they constituted proceeds of unlawful activities. The EFCC's investigation revealed that Mutu, while serving as chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission, received kickbacks totaling over 400 million naira from an NDDC consultant, Starline Consultancy Services. According to the commission, the consultant had approached Mutu's committee for assistance in recovering debts owed by oil and gas companies in the Niger Delta region. Following the committee's intervention, which included summoning companies and issuing payment demands, over 100 billion naira was recovered for the NDDC.

The anti-graft agency alleged that while the consultant received its fees, part of the funds were funneled to companies owned by Mutu. The money was received and laundered through Heritage Bank accounts belonging to...