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A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the provisional forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven properties and stocks from former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Presiding Judge Akintayo Aluko made the order on Thursday in suit numbered FHC/L/MISC/500/24 on the application filed by Rotimi Oyedepo on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Senior Nigerian lawyer Oyedepo said there were reasons to suspect that the confiscated items were obtained through illegal activities.
He told the court: “During the investigation, we found that the former central bank governor was receiving kickbacks from some companies that were in dire need of foreign exchange to carry out their legitimate operations in exchange for allocating foreign exchange to these companies.
“Upon investigation, we discovered that the Deputy Managing Director and Head of Litigation of Zenith Bank Plc, Ifeanyi Omeke, was close to Godwin Emefiele and ran errands for him, including the purchase and perfecting of title documents for several properties located in upscale areas of Lagos.
“A search of the office premises of Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke revealed several seals of various companies including but not limited to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited.
“The said seals were in the custody of Godwin Emefiele and handed over to Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke for safekeeping and investigations revealed that all seven companies… were suspected to be shell companies used by Godwin Emefiele to launder money and hold proceeds of illegal activities.”
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He added: “The two share certificates belong to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust and the properties are located in the upscale Lekki and Ikoyi areas of Lagos and Agbor in Delta State.
“The landed properties include two identically constructed standalone duplexes located at 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1; an undeveloped/vacant land measuring 1919.592 square metres, survey plot number DS/LS/340, located at Abayomi Avenue, Oyinkan (formerly Queens Road), Ikoyi; a bungalow located at 65a Abayomi Avenue, Oyinkan, Ikoyi; a four-bedroom duplex located at 12a Probin Road, Ikoyi; an industrial estate under construction on a 22 square metre plot in Agbor; eight standalone apartments located on a 2457.60 square metre plot located at 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi; and a complete duplex with all its annexes located on a 2217.87 square metre plot located at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi.
“I am also aware and satisfied that the confiscated properties were acquired in the name of corporate entities in order to conceal the illegal origin of the funds used for the acquisition and that the investigation team recovered the title documents of the properties listed in Schedule A during the course of the investigation.”
EFCC lawyers are seeking forfeiture of the investments by the federal government.
Granting the request, the judge directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to publish the interim confiscation order in a national newspaper so that anyone interested in the properties can appear before the court within 14 days to show cause why the confiscation order should not go in favour of the government.
Further hearing in the case was postponed to September 5.
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