June 04, (THEWILL) — In a decisive legal win against financial crime, the Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, has secured a permanent forfeiture order on assets worth over ₦2 billion, effectively dismantling the criminal empire of a financial sector worker and her accomplices.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2026, Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted the forfeiture in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/274/2026, following a police application seeking to seize assets linked to Alonge Opeyemi Yetunde.
Confirming the ruling in a statement on Thursday, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, said the confiscated properties, spanning Lagos, Osun, Delta States, and the FCT, include bank accounts, digital wallets, vehicles, and real estate.
Alonge, currently remanded at Suleja Correctional Custodial Centre, faces charges of fraud and money laundering, alongside other suspects involved in the network.
In a related ruling, Hon. Justice Bello Kawu on Monday, May 13, 2026, dismissed a ₦100 million Fundamental Rights Enforcement Suit filed by American-based suspect David Imole Averehi against the Nigeria Police Force and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, INTERPOL (Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/4119/45).
The Court held that statutory police duties cannot be obstructed, and individuals engaged in criminal conduct cannot use legal proceedings to evade justice. This judgment empowers the NCB to prosecute Averehi for allegedly obtaining money under false pretences.
According to Placid, the rulings reaffirm the full legal authority of the Nigeria Police Force to investigate and prosecute financial crimes without hindrance.
“These judgments send a clear signal that no one is above the law and that the police will pursue financial criminals relentlessly”, he said.
While the two rulings are being hailed as landmark decisions in criminal jurisprudence, strengthening the country’s fight against financial fraud, the Nigeria Police Force emphasised its commitment to leveraging international cooperation, including partnerships with INTERPOL, to protect Nigeria’s economic integrity and hold perpetrators accountable.
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