Court grants order for forfeiture of N11.14bn property linked to Emefiele

Nigeria’s Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday granted the Federal Government an order of interim forfeiture of property valued at N11,140,000,000.00 linked to the embattled former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Presiding judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, made the order following a motion filed and argued by the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo SAN.

Oyedepo informed the court that Emefiele was suspected of having bought the choice property, mostly located in highbrow parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by proxy, with the proceeds of fraud.

The EFCC’s counsel said the anti-graft agency identified a former CBN staff member and two current ones as Emefiele’s accomplices in the alleged fraud.

Justice Aneke also ordered the EFCC to publish the order in the ThisDay newspaper so that any interested party could show cause why the final order of forfeiture should not be made.