Emefiele finally forfeits properties acquired unlawfully
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Godwin Emefiele has been ordered by the Federal High Court in Lagos to permanently forfeit a warehouse built on a 1.925-hectare land along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Council of Ogun, as part of final forfeiture of properties he acquired illegally.
The court also ordered the final forfeiture of 54 general-purpose steel containers, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed are linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Judge Deinde Dipeolu ordered that the assets be forfeited to the federal government after no individual or organisation came forward to claim them.
The Judge had on November 28 granted an interim forfeiture of the assets, directing the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow any interested party to appear before the court and show cause why the assets should not be finally forfeited.
However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN informed the court that the Commission had complied with the court’s directives.
Oyedepo also informed the court that the application for final forfeiture was made pursuant to Section 44(2)(B) of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, as well as the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
He urged the court to issue a final forfeiture order to the federal government for the properties listed in Schedule A, which include the warehouse located at Km 8 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Magboro, and the 54 general-purpose steel containers suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities.
After reviewing Oyedepo’s submissions and the documents filed before the court, the Judge granted the requested relief and ordered the final forfeiture of all the assets.
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