The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of $2.04 million and seven properties connected to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Akintayo Aluko issued the order on Thursday in response to an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which is probing alleged fraudulent actions involving Emefiele.
The sites under question include premium real estate in Lagos’ Lekki and Ikoyi neighbourhoods, as well as a huge industrial complex currently under development in Agbor, Delta State.
Justice Aluko stated that the interim forfeiture was required to prevent the dissipation of assets suspected to be the profits of illegal activity.
“The properties listed in this application are reasonably suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities,” he said.
The properties, as listed, include two fully detached duplexes at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; a 1,919.592 sqm undeveloped land on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive) in Ikoyi; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi; a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi; an industrial complex on 22 plots in Agbor, Delta State; eight apartments on Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi; and a full duplex at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi.
In addition to the assets, the court ordered the interim forfeiture of two share certificates from Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust, a firm reportedly associated with Emefiele.
EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who filed the application for the orders in a matter marked FHC/L/MISC/500/24, said that the assets were gained through illegal means.
“The money and properties in question are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. We urge the court to grant this application to prevent any further dissipation of these assets,” Oyedepo said.
Oyedepo stated that the court was authorised to issue the interim forfeiture order under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006, and Section 44 (2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The EFCC’s investigation, as documented in court records, found that Emefiele reportedly negotiated payments in exchange for foreign exchange allocations to companies that required foreign currency for legitimate business reasons.
EFCC, an investigator with the Idi Musa, in his deposition, claimed that “These properties were acquired through Shell companies, all linked to Emefiele, with the sole purpose of laundering money.”
Musa further stated that the EFCC had discovered significant evidence, including title documents and corporate seals, during searches.
He said, “Sometime in 2018, one Olusola Bodunde acquired a parcel of land located at Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, and partnered with one Idowu Sharafa to develop three units of 5-bedroom duplexes with attached BQ on the land.
“Sometime in 2020, Omeke approached Bodunde and subsequently paid the total sum of N460, 000, 000 for two of the three developed duplexes, purchased in the name of Amrash Ventures Limited, all on behalf and on the instructions of Godwin Emefiele.
“That the sum of $2,045,000m and the shares certificate were also recovered in the office of Mr. Collins Ifeanyi Omeke.
“Upon investigation, we discovered that Mr. Omeke purchased and perfected the title documents for several properties on behalf of Mr. Emefiele.
“Most of the fraudulently earned funds were invested in acquiring these properties, which are now sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government.”
After issuing an interim forfeiture order, Justice Aluko directed the EFCC to publish it in a national newspaper and gave anyone with an interest in the funds and assets 14 days to appear in court and show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The case has been postponed until September 5, 2024, for further proceedings.
The forfeiture order issued on Thursday is the most recent in a series of forfeiture orders secured by the anti-graft agency against Emefiele, who is facing various corruption charges.
On May 29, the same Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the confiscation of $1.4 million linked to the embattled former CEO of the apex bank.
Previously, on May 23, the EFCC got forfeiture orders for $4.7 million, N830 million, and Emefiele-related properties.
Emefiele also received a separate permanent forfeiture order for N12.18 billion in preferred properties.
