Emefiele fights back, appeals forfeiture of 753 Abuja duplexes
Emefiele fights back, appeals forfeiture of 753 Abuja duplexes
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal seeking to overturn the interim and final forfeiture of 753 duplexes in Abuja, which were seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a notice of appeal dated April 30, 2025, Emefiele argued that the forfeiture orders were granted without sufficient evidence and without his knowledge or involvement in the legal process.
He claimed the EFCC published the notice of interim forfeiture in a little-known section of a national newspaper, making it difficult for him to respond in time.
The properties were forfeited in December 2024 following a ruling by Justice Jude Onwegbuzie of the FCT High Court. The EFCC described the estate as its largest single asset recovery since the agency was established in 2003.
However, it did not name the owner at the time, only stating that the estate was linked to a former senior government official.
Though the estate was initially traced to a company that later disclaimed ownership, Emefiele, through his lawyer A.M. Kotoye, filed a motion identifying himself as an interested party.
Earlier this year, Emefiele approached the FCT High Court seeking an extension of time to challenge both the interim and final forfeiture orders.
His request was dismissed by Justice Onwegbuzie, who ruled that the EFCC’s notice met the legal requirements outlined in Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006. The judge held that a half-page publication in a national newspaper was a sufficient public notice.
Recently, the EFCC formally handed over the forfeited estate to the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
