- Safiu Kehinde
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted the permanent forfeiture of N830 million, $4.7 million, and multiple properties linked to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The court, in a judgement delivered on Friday by Justice Yellim Bogoro, also ordered the final forfeiture of investments worth $900,000 traced to one of the embattled ex-CBN governor’s close relatives, Anita Joy Omoile.
According to report, the court further ordered the final forfeiture of another $4.4m worth of investment traced to Deep Blue Energy Services Ltd as well as another sum of N283m in Zenith Bank traced to Liman Investment Ltd area, €20,000, and £1,999.50, traced to Exactquote Bureau De Change (BDC), all companies linked to Omoile.
Having held that that all the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities, Justice Bogoro granted the final forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria at instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“I find that the activities of the respondents here were unlawful. Why should they have a problem with 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 the CBN.
“Consequently, I find that all the monies and properties in the schedule are finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.” the Judge said.
As listed, the forfeited properties includes 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, a furniture Plant at Bogije located near Elemoro, Owolomi Village, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos; and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria, located in Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
The other properties are: a plot at Lekki Foreshore Estate Scheme, Eti-Osa, LGA; an estate located at 100 Cottonwood Coppel Texas Drive, Coppel, Texas, owned by Lipam Investment Services; a land at Bunmi Olowude Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; and a property at 8 Bayo Kuku Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.