A Federal High Court in Lagos has issued a final forfeiture order for $4.7 million, ₦830 million, and several properties allegedly linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Yellim Bogoro, in a ruling delivered on Friday, also ordered the forfeiture of investments worth $900,000 traced to Anita Joy Omoile, a close relative of Emefiele.
Additionally, the court approved the forfeiture of $4.4 million in investments connected to Deep Blue Energy Services Ltd and ₦283 million found in a Zenith Bank account associated with Liman Investment Ltd. Other forfeited funds include €20,000 and £1,999.50 traced to Exactquote Bureau De Change (BDC), a company linked to Omoile.
The ruling followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the funds and properties were proceeds of illicit activities. The forfeited amounts were held in various accounts across First Bank, Zenith Bank, and Titan Bank, managed by individuals and entities such as Anita Omoile, Tatler Services Limited, Rosajul Global Resources Ltd, TIL Communication Nigeria Ltd, and Deep Blue Industrial Park Ltd.
Among the forfeited properties are 94 units of an 11-story building under construction in Ikoyi, Lagos; an 11-floor office complex in Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1; an industrial park in Amuwo Odofin LGA; a furniture plant in Ibeju-Lekki LGA; and two properties acquired from Chevron Nigeria in Lakes Estate, Lekki. Other confiscated properties include land in Lekki Foreshore Estate, a property in Texas, USA, and additional assets in Lekki Phase 1 and Ikoyi, Lagos.
The EFCC, led by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) and Bilikisi Buhari-Bala, had informed the court that during his tenure as CBN governor (2014-2023), Emefiele allegedly facilitated the concealment and laundering of illicit funds through relatives, associates, and offshore accounts. The commission further alleged that Omoile, through her firm Lipam Investment Services Limited, operated an unauthorized bureau de change business, benefiting from a large supply of foreign currency illegally funneled through Emefiele.
Omoile, now reportedly on the run, allegedly used her associates Esther Aderohunmu, Lucia Ewubor, and Calista Ogbonna to transfer and manage the illicit funds. Justice Bogoro had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order and instructed the EFCC to publish notices inviting interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
Dismissing an attempt by Leke Sanni & Associates to halt the ruling, Justice Bogoro upheld the EFCC’s case, affirming that the funds and properties were linked to unlawful activities. In her judgment, she questioned why those involved faced financial difficulties immediately after Emefiele’s exit from the CBN, suggesting their wealth was not derived from legitimate business operations.
The court ultimately ruled that all funds and properties listed in the case are permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
