In a significant ruling, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and multiple properties linked to Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Justice Bogoro in a judgment delivered on Friday also ordered the final forfeiture of investments worth $900,000 traced to one of Emefiele’s close relatives, Anita Joy Omoile.
The court further ordered the final forfeiture of an additional $4.4 million worth of investments linked to Deep Blue Energy Services Ltd, N283 million in Zenith Bank accounts of Liman Investment Ltd, as well as €20,000 and £1,999.50 traced to Exactquote Bureau De Change (BDC), all of which are companies connected to Omoile.
At the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Justice Bogoro ordered the final forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria, ruling that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.
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 made.
“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 are finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Prior to the judgment, Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos had, on November 1, 2024, ordered the permanent forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven prime landed properties, and share certificates linked to the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The court issued the order declaring that the funds and share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust should be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
It also ruled for the forfeiture of the seven properties on the ground that Emefiele failed to prove that his earnings from Zenith Bank and CBN were used to acquire them.
The judge held that the former CBN governor did not present documentation linking him to legitimate ownership of the properties.
Emefiele had denied any connection to the companies under which the property was purchased, and these firms did not come forward to claim ownership.
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