Court forfeits ex-CBN governor Emefiele’s N12bn property

Federal Government property valued at N11,140,000,000 billion and N1.04 billion connected to Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has been permanently ordered to be forfeited by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos. 

After considering a motion submitted and debated by the attorney for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Chineye Okezie, the judge issued the order of final forfeiture on Friday. 

On June 5, 2024, Justice Aneke granted the EFCC's request for an interim forfeiture of the property, which had been submitted and contested by the organization's attorney, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN). 

Oyedepo told the court that Emefiele was allegedly suspected of using fraudulent monies to purchase the desirable property through a proxy.

Two present and one former employee of CBN were identified by the EFCC as Emefiele's co-conspirators in the purported scam. 

The affidavit submitted in support of the application states that Obayemi Teben, Akomolafe Adebayo, and Olubunmi Makinde, a former employee of CBN, are the three. 

The majority of the properties are found in upscale areas of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Source