A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and several properties linked to former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. The EFCC secured the ruling, citing unlawful transactions. The seized assets include luxury properties in Lagos and Texas, reinforcing corruption allegations.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and multiple high-value properties linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Yellim Bogoro granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) application, ruling that the funds and assets were acquired through unlawful means. The forfeited sums were held in various accounts belonging to individuals and companies, including Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, and Exactquote Bureau De Change Ltd. The affected banks include First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank.
Among the seized properties are a 94-unit, 11-floor building in Ikoyi, AM Plaza in Lekki, an industrial park in Amuwo Odofin, and a furniture plant in Ibeju-Lekki. Additional assets include land at Lekki Foreshore Estate, properties acquired from Chevron Nigeria, and an estate in Texas, USA.
The judge highlighted that the sudden difficulty in accessing foreign exchange following Emefiele’s departure from CBN raised suspicions about the legitimacy of these transactions. Omoile Anita Joy was identified as a close associate of Emefiele, allegedly benefiting from undue forex privileges.
Bogoro ruled that all assets in question were unlawfully acquired and should be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
