The interim forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven landed properties, and shares connected to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been ordered by the Lagos Federal High Court.
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Following an application submitted by Rotimi Oyedepo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a matter marked FHC/L/MISC/500/24, the sitting judge, Akintayo Aluko, issued the decision on Thursday.
According to Oyedepo, there was a reasonable suspicion that the confiscated goods were the profits of illegal activity. He informed the court, “It was discovered during this investigation that the former governor of the CBN arranged kickbacks in exchange for providing foreign exchange to certain companies that were in dire need of foreign exchange for their lawful and legitimate businesses.”
“After an investigation, it was discovered that Godwin Emefiele had several errands performed for him by one Ifeanyi Omeke, a deputy general manager and head of litigation at Zenith Bank Plc.
These errands included the acquisition and completion of title documents for multiple properties situated in upscale neighbourhoods of Lagos. And that multiple seals for different firms, including but not limited to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited, were found after the operatives searched Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke’s office.
According to the inquiry, “that Godwin Emefiele kept the aforementioned seals in custody of Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke, and that all seven companies… are suspected to be shell companies used by Godwin Emefiele as vehicles for money laundering and holding proceeds of his illicit activities.”
The properties are all situated in the upscale neighbourhoods of Agbor in Delta, and Lekki and Ikoyi in Lagos. The certificates for the two shares belong to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust. The landed properties are described as follows: an industrial complex under construction on a 22-plot land in Agbor; eight units of undetached apartments on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal road, Ikoyi; two fully detached duplexes of identical structures at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1; an undeveloped/bare land, measuring 1919.592 sqm with survey plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi drive, Ikoyi; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi drive, Ikoyi; a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi; an industrial complex under construction on a 22-plot of land in Agbor; and a full duplex with all of its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank road, Ikoyi.
The title document for the properties listed in schedule A herein was recovered by the team during this investigation. “I also know as a fact and sincerely believe that the properties sought to be forfeited were acquired in the name of corporate entities with a view to concealing the unlawful origin of the funds used for their acquisition.”
The attorney for the EFCC requested that the investments be forfeited to the federal government.
