Forfeiture Order: Court To Hear Emefiele’s Applications Sept 12

Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court will, on September 12, hear all applications challenging the temporary order forfeiting $2,045,045 and some property allegedly linked to a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

The then vacation Judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko had on August 15, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money and some landed properties after listening to an ex-parte application to that effect moved by the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

The lands are listed as two fully detached duplexes of identical structures situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped/bare land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 lying, being situated at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos.

Others are a bungalow lying, being and situated at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bedroom duplex lying, being and situated at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi; Industrial complex under construction on a 22-plot of land, lying, being and situate in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of the undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm OF lying, being and situate at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm lying, being and situate at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Justice Aluko also ordered that two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust belonging to Emefiele be forfeited.

After granting the ex-parte motion, the judge directed the EFCC to publish it in a national newspaper to enable anyone interested in the properties to appear before the Court and show cause within 14 days why the court should not grant the final order of forfeiture of the said properties in favour of the federal government.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, two lawyers, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and A. Labi-Lawal, appeared for the embattled former CBN Governor, Emefiele; also, another lawyer, Chibuzor Opara, announced his appearance for the occupants of 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The EFCC lawyer, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, said that the court fixed the matter for Thursday to enable the anti-graft agency present a compliance report with the orders made on August 15, 2024.

Mrs Buhari-Bala also told the judge that the EFCC had filed an affidavit showing that the order was published on August 28, 2024, in a national newspaper.

She further claimed that she had received two processes from Emefiele and that the applications were not ripe for hearing.

She, therefore, asked the court for a short date to enable her to respond to Emefiele’s applications.

For his part, Ojo (SAN), in his response, informed the court that the process filed on behalf of Emefiele is to stop further proceedings in the forfeiture suit.

He stated that, “The law says, where there is an application of such, the issue of final forfeiture should be stalled.”

Ojo further informed the court that his client’s interlocutory application must be heard and determined before any further proceedings.

He, therefore, urged the court to adjourn to Monday for the hearing of his client’s application.

Opara, who appeared for the occupants of 8a, Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, told the court that he was yet to have all processes filed in the matter despite applying to the court for a search.

He, therefore, urged the court for an adjournment to enable him to file his client’s processes.

Based on the development, Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case to September 12, 2024 for the hearing of the applications.