A UK High Court has ordered the forfeiture of a property linked to Abigail Katung, the current Lady Mayoress of Leeds and wife of Nigerian senator Sunday Katung. The case was brought forward by the National Crime Agency (NCA), according to a report by Premium Times.
The court concluded that the house, which Mrs Katung currently occupies with her children, was purchased in 2015 using funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful conduct. Investigators found the property was previously owned by Mansoor Hussain, a businessman accused of laundering money for northern England crime syndicates.
£360,000 Traced Back to Nigeria
Mrs Katung signed a purchase agreement in 2015, the same year her husband won his seat in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. As part of the deal, she paid £400,000 as deposit in two tranches—£40,000 and £360,000—directly into Mr Hussain’s account.
Court records revealed that a significant portion of the funds originated from Nigeria. Mrs Katung told the court she used Bureau De Change operators to convert naira into pounds sterling after her husband secured a ₦120 million loan from a Nigerian bank. The money was remitted to her company, 1st Resource.
However, the judge found gaps in her explanation and questioned the lack of documentation. Most of the funds sent to the UK could not be traced to legal, verifiable sources.
Court Discredits Defence Evidence
The court rejected several parts of Mrs Katung’s defence. She relied on a letter from My Honey Oil Interbiz Ltd, which claimed her husband was a client. Yet, open-source checks revealed that the company did not appear on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2021 list of licensed Bureau De Change operators.
The judge also noted missing evidence, including the absence of a formal statement from Senator Katung. In his judgment, he stated:
“Surprisingly, Mrs Katung’s witness statements in these proceedings did not address how the payments were made, nor did they seek to explain what she had said at interview.”
The court ruled that the use of Mrs Katung’s company account was improper and said the funds fell under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). A civil recovery order was issued, transferring ownership of the property to the NCA.
Reputation at Risk, But No Criminal Link to Property Owner
While the judgment raised questions about the origin of the funds, the court stopped short of linking Mrs Katung to Mr Hussain’s known criminal operations.
“Understandably, Mrs Katung is concerned about the impact that this judgment may have upon her reputation, and I therefore make it crystal-clear that I do not find that she was cognisant of what Mr Hussain was up to,” the judge said.
The NCA is now entitled to possession of the property. Further financial remedies are expected to be determined unless the parties reach an agreement. The agency has also been awarded legal costs.
First African Lord Mayor of Leeds Faces Scrutiny
Abigail Katung moved to the UK in 2000 to study at the University of Leeds. She made history in 2024 as the city’s first Lord Mayor of African descent. Her husband, Sunday Katung, currently represents Kaduna South in Nigeria’s Senate and previously served in the House of Representatives.
Article updated 2 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
