The embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele today got another dose of permanent forfeiture of huge some of money as well as some properties spreading across Lagos State that were linked to him.
In a judgement delivers by Justice Yellim Bogoro of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, the judge ordered the final forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and several properties linked to the ex-CBN Governor to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a judgement read for more than three hours by Justice Bogoro, the court made the final forfeiture orders on the monies and properties, after it dismissed all the preliminary objections filed by some interpleaders and individual interested parties who filed objections to the final forfeiture of the attached properties by against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its lawyer, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala.
The funds, now forfeited to the federal government, were concealed in First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank accounts managed by individuals and entities who include: Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, Exactquote Bureau De Change Limited, Lipam Investment Services Limited, Tatler Services Limited, Rosajul Global Resources Limited, and TIL Communication Nigeria Limited.
Also the properties affected by the permanent forfeiture include 94 units of an 11-floor building under construction at 2, Otunba Elegushi 2nd Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos; AM Plaza, an 11-floor office space on Otunba Adedoyin Crescent, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, Lagos; Imore Industrial Park 1 on Esa Street, Imoore Land, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos; Mitrewood and Tatler Warehouse (Furniture Plant at Bogije) near Elemoro, Owolomi Village, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos; and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria, located in Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
Other properties include; a plot at Lekki Foreshore Estate Scheme, Foreshore Estate, Eti-Osa, LGA; an estate at 100 Cottonwood Coppel Texas Drive, Coppel, Texas, owned by Lipam Investment Services; land at 1 Bunmi Owulude Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; and a property at 8 Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Delivering the final judgement on the forfeiture of the monies and properties, Justice Bogoro in her wisdom held that all these properties and funds are proceeds of unlawful activities which are bound to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria according to the Advance Dee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The judge held: “I find that the activities of the respondents here were unlawful. Why should they have a problem of dollars immediately Godwin Emefiele left CBN as a governor of the Bank and salary could not be paid?
“I hold that they are not legitimate business activities.
“I hold that Anita Omoile is a close crony of the former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele who has been given undue influence to unlawfully sway dollars from CBN.
“Consequently, I find that all the monies and properties in the schedule ‘A’ are finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
During the trial of the case, EFCC through it’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) had cited Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution in its application, seeking an interim forfeiture on the grounds that the funds and properties were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Bogoro, finding merit in the EFCC’s application then, ordered the interim forfeiture and mandated the publication of the order in a national newspaper.
Following the failure of the defendants or anyone else to prove that the funds legitimately belonged to them, the judge then made the interim order permanent.
Today’s final forfeiture order, is another testament to the EFCC’s commendable assets recovery and anti-corruption efforts under its Executive Chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
