The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, has dismissed an application by former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to reclaim a forfeited estate consisting of 753 duplexes and apartments.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie upheld the final forfeiture of the estate, located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone CO9, Lokogoma District, Abuja, to the Federal Government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously obtained both interim and final forfeiture orders for the property.
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Emefiele, through his lawyer, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), had filed a motion as an interested party, seeking to overturn the forfeiture orders made in December 2024.
He argued that he was unaware of the forfeiture proceedings and that the EFCC’s publication of the interim forfeiture notice was intentionally obscure.
He also claimed that his ongoing trials in various courts made it impossible for him to discover the publication in a timely manner, and that the EFCC deliberately concealed the proceedings from him.
Justice Onwuegbuzie, in his ruling, clarified that while the court could review its decisions under certain circumstances, the notice requirements under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, were met.
He dismissed Emefiele’s argument that the publication was obscure, stating that a half-page notice in a national newspaper like The Punch was sufficient.
The court emphasized that only those with a demonstrable interest in the forfeited property could intervene.
Justice Onwuegbuzie concluded that Emefiele had adequate time (over 14 days) to contest the forfeiture but failed to do so.
Consequently, the court dismissed his motion and ruled in favor of the EFCC.
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