The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday granted the Federal Government an order of interim forfeiture of properties valued at N11,140,000,000.00 linked to the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Following a motion filed and argued by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the lawyer for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who represented Bilkisu Buhari-Bala and Chineye Okezie in the proceedings, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke issued the decision.
Oyedepo told the court that Emefiele might have purchased the desirable houses through a proxy using money obtained through fraud.
The EFCC named two current and one former CBN staff as Emefiele’s accomplices in the alleged fraud.
The properties are mostly located in highbrow parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Justice Aneke also ordered the EFCC to published publish the order in the ThisDay newspaper for any interested party to show cause why the final order of forfeiture should not be made.
The judge adjourned till the 21st of June for the hearing of the motion for final forfeiture.
More to come…
