A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has had $2.04m and seven properties linked to him ordered for interim forfeiture by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Akintayo Aluko granted the order on Thursday at the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is probing alleged fraudulent activities involving Emefiele.
The properties in question consist of prime real estate in Lekki and Ikoyi, Lagos, along with a significant industrial complex still under construction in Agbor, Delta State.
Aluko emphasized the necessity of the interim forfeiture to prevent the dissipation of assets suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities.
He declared, “The property listed in this application are reasonably suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The listed properties include various real estate holdings in Lekki and Ikoyi, Lagos, as well as an industrial complex in Agbor, Delta State.
Additionally, the court ordered the interim forfeiture of two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust, a company reportedly associated with Emefiele.
The EFCC, through its counsel Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), argued in court that the assets were fraudulently obtained and are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Oyedepo stated, “We urge the court to grant this application to prevent any further dissipation of these assets.”
The court documents reveal that Emefiele allegedly engaged in kickback negotiations in exchange for foreign exchange allocations to companies in need of foreign currency for legitimate business operations.
An EFCC investigator disclosed that the properties were acquired through shell companies connected to Emefiele for the purpose of money laundering.
After considering Oyedepo’s submissions and reviewing all presented evidence, Justice Aluko granted the interim forfeiture of the money, share certificates, and landed properties.
He instructed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in national newspapers such as NewsNow, The Guardian, and The Nation to notify any interested parties.
Interested parties have a 14-day window to appear before the court and provide reasons why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on September 5, 2024.