Court Orders Final Forfeiture of $2.045 Million, Others Linked To Emefiele
Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was ordered by a Federal High Court in Lagos to forfeit to the Federal Government a cash sum of $2.045 million, eight desirable properties in Lagos and Delta, and two company share certificates.
The funds and two share certificates belonging to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust were permanently forfeited by Justice Deinde Dipeolu, who noted that neither the former CBN governor nor any other interested party challenged the initial interim forfeiture.
Due to Emefiele’s failure to demonstrate a connection between his legal earnings from Zenith Bank and the CBN and the acquisition of these properties, the court also ordered the forfeiture of seven prime land properties.
The court noted that Emefiele did not provide any documentation or evidence to demonstrate that the properties belonged to him.
However, Emefiele denied any connection to the businesses whose names were used to purchase the properties, and those businesses did not appear in court to claim the properties.
Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited, and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited were the names given to the businesses by the EFCC.
Justice Dipeolu came to the conclusion that Emefiele and the companies are attempting to conceal something concerning the acquisition of the properties.
The judge also said that the interested party didn’t have a legal interest in the properties because they were bought with illegal money.
As a result, he directed the final forfeiture of all properties to the Nigerian Federal Government because he had reasonable suspicions that they had been acquired through illegal means.
There are two identical fully detached duplexes on the property at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, and a 1919.592 square meter parcel of undeveloped land with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 in Ikoyi, Lagos, at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive); a bungalow located at A four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road in Ikoyi and 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Other examples include a 22-plot industrial complex currently under construction in Agbor, Delta State; 8 independent apartment units on a 2457.60 sq. m. plot at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a complete duplex with all of its fixtures and fittings on a 2217.87sqm plot of land at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
