A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has issued an interim forfeiture order for $4.7 million, N830.9 million, and various properties linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Yellim Bogoro granted the order on Friday following an ex-parte motion filed by EFCC lawyers Bilkisu Buhari and C.C. Chineye. The funds, held in various banks, were connected to entities including Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, and several others.
Among the forfeited properties are a 94-unit, 11-story building under construction in Ikoyi, Lagos; AM Plaza, an 11-story office space in Lekki Peninsula, Lagos; Imore Industrial Park in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos; and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria in Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos. Additional properties include a plot at Lekki Foreshore Estate, an estate in Coppel, Texas, and land in Lekki Phase 1 and Ikoyi, Lagos.
The EFCC sought the forfeitures under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the Constitution. They requested the interim order to allow for the publication of the forfeiture notice, inviting any interested parties to contest the order within 14 days.
Justice Bogoro, after reviewing the EFCC's submission, granted the motion and adjourned the case to July 2, 2024, for the motion for final forfeiture.
