The 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.
But yesterday, Emefiele legal representative distanced the ex-CBN Governor from the forfeited properties.
Delivering judgment yesterday, Justice Yellim Bogoro granted the forfeiture request filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala. This ruling followed the court’s earlier dismissal of an application seeking to halt the judgment.
The funds, now forfeited to the federal government, were held in First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank accounts 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.
Properties affected by the interim forfeiture 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 held that all these properties and funds are proceeds of unlawful activities which are bound to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge held: “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 made?
“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 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, seeking an interim forfeiture on the grounds that the funds and properties were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Bogoro, finding merit in the EFCC’s application, ordered the interim forfeiture and mandated the publication of the order in a national newspaper.
Following the failure of the defendants or anyone else to prove that the funds legitimately belonged to them, the judge then made the interim order permanent.
Reacting to the judgment yesterday, Emefiele’s legal representatives categorically denied his involvement in the ownership of properties recently forfeited by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
A statement signed by Olawale Fapohunda, Esq., on behalf of his legal team, clarified that the properties, allegedly linked to Anita Joy Omoile and her companies, including DeepBlue Energy Limited, do not belong to Emefiele or any member of his immediate family.
The clarification follows reports that Justice Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, had granted a final forfeiture order on the properties. However, the legal team pointed out that Justice Aneke, another judge of the same court, had previously discharged an interim forfeiture order on the same assets.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically disassociate our client from the ownership of the assets in question,” the statement read. “The assets do not belong to our client or any member of his immediate family.”
The statement further explained that DeepBlue Energy Limited, incorporated in 2009, is owned by a relative of Emefiele but is not linked to him directly.
Emefiele’s legal team urged the public and stakeholders to refrain from associating the forfeited properties with him, emphasizing that the reports misrepresent the facts.
