Photo: Aerial view of the estate recovered from the ex-govt official
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has hailed the seizure of 753 duplexes and other premium properties from a former government official as its largest and most significant forfeiture in history.
On Monday, December 2, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie ruled in favour of the EFCC, ordering the final forfeiture of an estate in Abuja, allegedly belonging to an unnamed former government official.
However, a Naija Daily News source said, “I am quite sure that it is Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who is facing multiple multibillion-dollar charges.
Emefiele was nabbed by the EFCC shortly after his sack by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023.
The property, which spans 150,500 square meters and comprises 753 duplexes and other apartments, is located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
“This is the single largest asset recovery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since its inception in 2003,” the EFCC announced in a post on its verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
The EFCC explained that the forfeiture aligns with its mandate to ensure that individuals involved in corruption and fraud are deprived of the proceeds of their illegal activities. The commission invoked Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pursue the case.
Justice Onwuegbuzie upheld the EFCC’s application, stating that the respondent had failed to provide sufficient justification for retaining the property. “The property, which has been reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful activities, is hereby finally forfeited to the federal government,” the judge ruled.
The EFCC revealed that the journey to the final forfeiture began with an interim order granted by the same judge on November 1, 2024. The government official behind the fraudulent acquisition of the estate remains under investigation.
“The forfeiture of this asset is a critical measure to deprive the suspect of the proceeds of their crime,” the EFCC noted. It further referenced Part 2, Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act, which empowers the commission to investigate individuals or entities suspected of economic and financial crimes and assess whether their assets and lifestyle are justified by their income.
The EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, emphasized that asset recovery is a cornerstone of the commission’s fight against corruption. “It serves as a powerful deterrent to those engaged in corrupt and fraudulent activities,” he stated.
