A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo has dismissed a motion filed by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, seeking to reverse the federal government’s final forfeiture of a vast estate in Abuja’s Lokogoma District.
The court’s decision marks another legal setback for Emefiele, who attempted to reclaim the seized property months after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured its final forfeiture on December 2, 2024.
The estate, situated at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone CO9, Lokogoma, spans 150,500 square metres contains 753 duplexes. Initially linked to a company that later denied ownership, the property became the subject of intense legal scrutiny after the EFCC moved for its forfeiture.
Emefiele, represented by his counsel A.M. Kotoye, approached the court as an interested party, filing a motion to set aside both the interim and final forfeiture orders.
He claimed he was unaware of the proceedings due to what he described as an “obscure” publication of the notice by the EFCC. He argued that the notice, published in a lesser-read section of a national newspaper, was not reasonably accessible to him.
The former apex bank chief also stated that his involvement in three concurrent criminal trials in both Abuja and Lagos courts prevented him from discovering and responding to the publication within the stipulated timeframe. He accused the EFCC of deliberately withholding information about the forfeiture despite ongoing communication between him and the agency over other legal matters.
However, presiding judge Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie ruled against Emefiele, stating that the court had adequately followed the provisions outlined under Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. He noted that the half-page notice published in a national newspaper satisfied the legal requirement for public notice and could not be dismissed as insufficient or hidden.
The judge ruled that Emefiele’s request lacked merit and did not meet the threshold for setting aside the forfeiture orders. This ruling comes amid a string of legal battles facing Emefiele, who is currently on trial in multiple courts over corruption and abuse of office allegations stemming from his tenure at the CBN.