The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of ₦150 million linked to Nicholas Mutu, the lawmaker representing Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, ruling that the money constituted proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik delivered the judgment on Thursday, July 2, 2026, following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking the permanent forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.
The court held that the commission had established sufficient grounds to justify the forfeiture after considering the application, objections and affidavits filed by Mutu and Airworld Technologies Ltd.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that “the said sum of ₦150 million refunded by Mutu constituted proceeds of unlawful activities” and consequently ordered that the money be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
The EFCC had instituted the proceedings under Section 44(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
According to the commission, its investigation revealed that Mutu allegedly received kickbacks amounting to ₦400,159,689.63 from Starline Consultancy Services while serving as Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the payments were routed through the Heritage Bank accounts of Airworld Technologies Ltd and Oyien Homes Ltd, companies it said are linked to the lawmaker.
The EFCC further claimed that Mutu is the majority shareholder and director of both companies, while other shareholders are members of his immediate family.
According to the commission, Starline Consultancy Services had approached the House committee to assist in recovering debts owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission by oil and gas companies.
The EFCC said the committee’s intervention resulted in the recovery of more than ₦100 billion for the commission, after which the consultant allegedly paid part of its consultancy fees to companies linked to Mutu as kickbacks.
The commission also alleged that during its investigation, Mutu arranged for the consultant to issue a subcontract letter to Airworld Technologies Ltd in an attempt to legitimise the payments.
According to the EFCC, the consultant later informed investigators that the subcontract merely served as a cover and that no work had been carried out by the company.
The commission stated that Mutu refunded ₦150 million during the investigation but later argued that the payment was not made voluntarily and maintained that the transactions with his companies were legitimate commercial dealings.
The court noted that it had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order, which was published in a national newspaper, and that no sufficient cause had been shown to prevent the permanent forfeiture of the funds.
In its reaction to the judgment, the EFCC said Justice Abdulmalik, after reviewing the evidence before the court, “held that it had merit and ordered the final forfeiture of the said funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The forfeiture proceedings are separate from Mutu’s criminal trial.
In April 2026, the Federal High Court discharged and acquitted him of money laundering charges involving ₦320 million arising from substantially the same transactions, a decision the EFCC has appealed.