Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a warehouse and 54 steel containers linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele. The warehouse, situated on a 1.925-hectare property along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Magboro, Ogun State, is now under federal government ownership.
The ruling followed a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which alleged the assets were acquired through unlawful means.
Justice Dipeolu noted that despite an interim forfeiture order issued on November 28, 2024, and its mandatory publication in a national newspaper, no claimant came forward to contest ownership of the assets. Satisfied with the EFCC’s compliance, the court granted the final forfeiture request.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, supported the application with Section 44(2)(B) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. He urged the court to transfer ownership of the assets listed in Schedule A to the federal government.
In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu reviewed the arguments and evidence presented, concluding that the EFCC had fulfilled the necessary legal requirements, thereby granting the forfeiture application.
