The Lagos Division of the Federal High on Friday ordered a final forfeiture of $2.04 million linked to the suspended Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Isaac Dipeolu also ordered the final forfeiture of landed properties and share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Ltd Trust, all linked to Mr Emefiele.

The court made the final forfeiture orders after holding that the former CBN governor or any other interested party did not contest the same after an earlier interim forfeiture order.

The court held that the respondent could not connect his lawful earnings from Zenith Bank and the CBN to the acquisition of the properties.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had, by a motion on August 15, sought an order to forfeit the properties on grounds that they were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Mr Oyedepo added that the orders sought were pursuant to section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, Section 44 (2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

The court had granted the interim order of forfeiture on the properties and had adjourned for any interested party to appear and show cause.

In its ruling on Friday, the court held that the respondent failed to provide documents or links to show that he owned the properties.

The court held that the conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties, which the respondent and the companies do not want to come to light.

The judge held that “the interested party has failed to demonstrate any lawful interest in the properties and that they were acquired from his legitimate earnings”.

“I, therefore, order the final forfeiture to the federal government of Nigeria of all those properties, which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities”.

The properties are two fully detached duplexes of identical structures at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

An undeveloped land measuring 1919.592sqm at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, and a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi.

Others are an industrial complex under construction, 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; eight units of an undetached apartment at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. 

(NAN)