A former Minister of State for Defence , Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, his wife and children have recovered three properties worth about N500 m from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

The properties include four terrace houses located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent in the highbrow Katamkpe Extension area of Abuja ; a parcel of land in Guzape District and a duplex at Olori Mojisola Onikoyi Avenue , Ikoyi , Lagos .

Our correspondents , who visited the properties on Thursday , observed that the erstwhile red paint inscription , ‘EFCC, Keep Off!’ had been wiped off on the walls of the buildings .
Obanikoro, who defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party about a year ago , was under investigation along with his two sons for alleged money laundering .
The ex- minister was accused of receiving N4 .7 bn from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col . Sambo Dasuki ( retd .) in 2014.
About N2 .2 bn out of the funds was allegedly handed over to the then governorship candidate of the PDP in Ekiti State , Governor Ayodele Fayose , while N 1 .3 bn was said to have been given to the then Osun State governorship candidate , Senator Iyiola Omisore .
Obanikoro has , however , been converted to a prosecution witness and is expected to testify against Fayose who he allegedly handed part of the money to .
The ex -minister and his wife , Moroophat, had , in 2016 , sued the EFCC for seizing the houses but lost as the court ruled that the EFCC had the right to seize properties of persons under investigation .
An FCT High Court sitting in Jabi had ordered the forfeiture of her property pending the outcome of investigations into her husband and children.
The court also rejected a prayer asking that the EFCC pay her the sum of N 200 m for violating her fundamental human rights.
Obanikoro’s wife had argued that she bought the property over seven years before the alleged arms scam took place.