A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, owns the large estate in Abuja with 753 duplexes forfeited to the Nigerian Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a court ruling on Monday.
Human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, confirmed the development in a post on his Twitter.
Emefiele is standing trial on several charges bordering on corruption, including in the new naira redesign before the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Justice Maryann Anenih had adjourned the matter till December 4, 2024, and January 21, 2025 for continuation of trial.
Sowore had earlier blasted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for refusing to name the former Nigerian “top brass” who owned the large estate in Abuja with 753 duplexes.
Sowore, former presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, had noted on Monday that the EFFC is now afraid of big thieves and has become their public relations officer.
In an update, the human rights activist said, “I just heard from the grapevine that the 753 duplexes forfeited by an FCT court in Apo belong to Muhammadu Buhari’s CBN gov, Godwin Emefiele.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday announced its largest asset recovery since its establishment.
The recovered asset, located in the Federal Capital Territory, is an estate spanning 150,500 square meters and comprising 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.
The estate is situated on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
The recovery followed a ruling delivered on December 2, 2024 by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
On November 1, 2024, the judge had given an order of interim forfeiture on the property.
A statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the property was owned by a former top brass of the government.
He said, “Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday, December 2, 2024, gave a ruling on a final forfeiture of an estate in Abuja measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments. This is the single largest asset recovery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since its inception in 2023. The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
“The forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government by a former top brass of the government was pursuant to EFCC’s mandate and policy directive of ensuring that the corrupt and fraudulent do not enjoy the proceeds of their unlawful activities.”
Oyewale said the commission relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14, 2006 and Section 44 (2) B of the Constitution of the 1999 Constitution to push its case.
Ruling on the commission’s application for the final forfeiture of the property, Oyewale said Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent had not shown cause as to why he should not lose the property, which was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
“The government official, who fraudulently built the estate, is being investigated by the EFCC. The forfeiture of the asset is an important modality of depriving the suspect of the proceeds of the crime,” Oyewale added.
