Nigerian court says government to get $43M apartment stash

WARRI, Nigeria – Nigeria’s federal high court has ordered the forfeiture of more than $43 million to the federal government after the money was found in a Lagos apartment and no one sufficiently proved it was theirs.

Justice Muslim Hassan ruled Tuesday that the cash was suspected to be proceeds from unlawful activities.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission found the money when it acted on a tip and raided the apartment in April.

The National Intelligence Agency had said the money was appropriated to it by the former administration for covert operations. The agency’s director-general has since been suspended.

A panel set up to investigate the intelligence agency’s claims has yet to publish its report.

This West African nation faces rampant corruption.