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Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been linked to a 753 duplex estate seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and forfeited to the Nigerian government on Monday.
Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, made this known in a post on his verified social media pages on Monday night.
THE WITNESS earlier reported that Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, ordered the final forfeiture of an estate in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 Units of duplexes and other apartments.
The EFCC said in a release that this was the single largest asset recovery by the Commission since its inception in 2003.
The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
The statement read: “Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, December 2, 2024 gave a ruling on a final forfeiture of an estate in Abuja measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 Units of duplexes and other apartments.”
“This is the single largest asset recovery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since its inception in 2003. The Estate rests on on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.”
“The forfeiture of the property to the federal government by a former top brass of the government was pursuant to EFCC’s mandate and policy directive of ensuring that the corrupt and fraudulent do not enjoy the proceeds of their unlawful activities. In this instance, the Commission relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14, 2006 and Section 44 (2) B of the Constitution of the 199 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to push its case.”
“Ruling on the Commission’s application for the final forfeiture of the property, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent have not shown cause as to why he should not lose the property, “which has been reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, the property is hereby finally forfeited to the federal government.”
“The road to the final forfeiture of the property was paved by an interim forfeiture order, secured before the same Judge on November 1, 2024. The government official which fraudulently built the estate is being investigated by the EFCC. The forfeiture of the asset is an important modality of depriving the suspect of the proceeds of the crime.”
Recall that Emefiele is standing trial on several charges bordering on corruption, forgery and money laundering.
Emefiele was also accused of printing naira notes different from the design approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
