Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal high Court sitting in Lagos has granted the Federal Government an interim forfeiture order for property valued at N11,140,000,000.00 allegedly linked to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Aneke issued the order on Wednesday following a motion filed and argued by the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Oyedepo informed the court that Emefiele was suspected of purchasing the properties, mostly located in highbrow parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, by proxy, using the proceeds of fraud.
The EFCC’s counsel stated that the anti-graft agency had identified a former CBN staff member and two current ones as Emefiele’s accomplices in the alleged fraud.
Justice Aneke also instructed the EFCC to publish the order in the ThisDay newspaper to allow any interested party to show cause why the final forfeiture order should not be made.
The judge adjourned the case until June 21 to hear the motion for final forfeiture.
In May, Yellim Bogoro, judge of a federal high court in Lagos, also granted EFCC’s prayers on interim forfeiture of $4,719,054, N830,875,611, and other assets linked to Emefiele.
On May 29, another judge, Ayokunle Faji, also ordered the interim forfeiture of $1,426,175.14 linked to the former CBN governor.
