A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and multiple properties linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele.
Delivering judgment on Friday, February 21, Justice Yellim Bogoro granted the final forfeiture application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala. This decision comes after the court had earlier dismissed an application seeking to arrest Emefiele.
The forfeited funds were held in accounts at First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank, managed by individuals and entities including Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, Exactquote Bureau De Change Ltd, Lipam Investment Services Limited, Tatler Services Limited, Rosajul Global Resources Ltd, and TIL Communication Nigeria Ltd.
The affected properties include 94 units of an 11-floor building under construction at 2 Otunba Elegushi 2nd Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos; AM Plaza, an 11-floor office space on Otunba Adedoyin Crescent, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, Lagos; Imore Industrial Park 1 on Esa Street, Imoore Land, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos; Mitrewood and Tatler Warehouse (Furniture Plant at Bogije) near Elemoro, Owolomi Village, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos; and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria, located in Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
Additional properties include a plot at Lekki Foreshore Estate Scheme, Foreshore Estate, Eti-Osa LGA; an estate at 100 Cottonwood Coppel Texas Drive, Coppel, Texas, owned by Lipam Investment Services; land at 1 Bunmi Owulude Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; and a property at 8 Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Justice Bogoro ruled that all these properties and funds were proceeds of unlawful activities and must be forfeited to the federal government.
“I find that the activities of the respondents here were unlawful. Why should they have a problem of dollars immediately Godwin Emefiele left CBN as a governor of the bank and salary could not be paid? I hold that they are not legitimate business activities. I hold that Anita Omoile is a close crony of the former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele who has been given undue influence to unlawfully sway dollars from CBN. Consequently, I find that all the monies and properties in the schedule are finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the judge declared.
The EFCC, through its counsel Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, had cited Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution in its application, arguing that the funds and properties were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Bogoro had previously granted an interim forfeiture order and directed its publication in a national newspaper. As no defendants or claimants were able to establish legitimate ownership of the assets, the court has now made the forfeiture permanent.
