A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo has dismissed an application by Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), seeking to reclaim an estate seized by the federal government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, on December 2, 2024, secured the final forfeiture of the property, located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja. The estate spans 150,500 square metres and comprises 753 duplexes.
Initially linked to a company that later disclaimed ownership, the estate became the subject of legal dispute when Emefiele, through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, filed a motion as an interested party, seeking to set aside both the interim and final forfeiture orders.
Emefiele argued that he was unaware of the forfeiture proceedings, alleging that the EFCC deliberately published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure section of a national newspaper to prevent him from responding. He further claimed that his simultaneous trial in three separate criminal cases in Abuja and Lagos courts made it impossible for him to monitor the notice.
However, delivering his ruling, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie held that Emefiele’s claims were unfounded. The judge stated that the EFCC complied with the requirements under Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, regarding proper notification. He noted that the half-page publication in a national newspaper was adequate and could not be classified as obscure.
Justice Onwuegbuzie also affirmed that only parties with proven legal interests in forfeited assets have the right to challenge such forfeitures, likening it to conditions for joining ongoing lawsuits. He ruled that Emefiele had sufficient time—over 14 days—to contest the proceedings but failed to act.
Consequently, the court dismissed Emefiele’s motion and upheld the EFCC’s forfeiture of the estate.