Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of Warehouse On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Linked To Godwin Emefiele
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier moved an application for the forfeiture of the assets since no person or organisation came forward to claim them.
In the continued trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday ordered the final forfeiture of a warehouse traced to him.
The order on final forfeiture was given by Justice Deinde Dipeolu.
The judge issued the final forfeiture order to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule A; a warehouse built on a landed property measuring 1.925 hectares, lying, being and situated at Km 8, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Magboro and 54 General purpose steel containers, which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier moved an application for the forfeiture of the assets since no person or organisation came forward to claim them.
Earlier on November 28, the judge had ordered the interim forfeiture of the assets while directing the EFCC to publish the order in the national newspaper, for any interested person to appear before the court and show cause why it should not be finally forfeited.
The said warehouse is built on a landed property measuring 1.925 hectares of land along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
He was ordered to forfeit the land to the federal government of Nigeria.
The court also ordered the permanent forfeiture of 54 general purpose steel containers.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), told the court that the commission had complied with the court’s directives.
Oyedepo also submitted that the final forfeiture order was brought pursuant to Section 44(2)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended); and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
After listening to the anti-graft agency’s lawyer and reading through all the processes filed before the court with the authorities cited, Justice Dipeolu, granted the relief sought and ordered the final forfeiture of all the assets.
A housing estate said to be largest seizure by the EFCC was taken over from Emefiele earlier.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the EFCC operatives found a receipt ordering for roofing of the large estate in Abuja with 753 duplexes in Emefiele’s home, during a search in his Lagos State home.
It had been reported that the 753 duplexes were forfeited to the Nigerian government through the EFCC, in a court ruling on Monday.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, ordered the final forfeiture of an estate in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 Units of duplexes and other apartments.
The EFCC, while refusing to disclose the name, had said in a release that it was the single largest asset recovery by the Commission since its inception in 2003.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, one of the top sources had said, “Emefiele planned to build 774 duplexes. He wanted to name each after a Nigerian Local Government Area. He was to sell each unit for N200million each.”
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
