The ultimate forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven select landed properties, and share certificates associated with Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was ordered by the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday.
After concluding that the previous governor of the CBN or any other interested party did not challenge the money and the two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust following the original interim seizure, Justice Deinde Dipeolu ordered their permanent forfeiture.
The seven choices landed homes were also confiscated by the court because Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was unable to link the purchase of the properties to his legitimate income from Zenith Bank and the CBN.
In addition to the corporations’ failure to show up in court to claim the properties, Emefiele had denied any involvement with the companies that bought the homes.
Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited, and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited were among the businesses cited by the EFCC.
Justice Dipeolu held, “The conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies do not want to come to light.”
The judge further held “that the interested party has failed to demonstrate any lawful interest in the properties and that they were acquired from his legitimate earnings”.
“I therefore order the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of all those properties…which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The properties include a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi; two fully detached duplexes of identical structures, lying being and situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; and undeveloped land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos.
Others include a complete duplex with all of its amenities on a plot of land measuring 2217.87 square meters at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; eight units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60 square meters at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi; and an industrial complex currently under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State.
Following the hearing of an Exparte plea submitted by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the lead counsel to the Commission, the court granted the EFCC permission to provisionally seize the $2.045 million in cash, seven select landed properties, and shares associated with Emefiele on August 15, 2024.
Following the EFCC’s claim that the money and other goods sought to be confiscated were likely the results of illegal activity, the court rendered its decision.
But Olalekan Ojo, Emefiele’s attorney, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had pleaded with the court to halt the proceedings and refrain from imposing the ultimate forfeiture of the properties.