Emefiele challenges forfeiture of 753-unit estate in Appeal Court

Emefiele challenges forfeiture of 753-unit estate in Appeal Court

Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, contesting a judgment that handed over full ownership of a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja to the federal government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier secured a court order for the final forfeiture of the estate, located in the Lokogoma area of the Federal Capital Territory. While the property was initially associated with an unnamed former public official, Emefiele—through his counsel, A.M. Kotoye—insists he has an interest in the estate and should have been included in the forfeiture proceedings.

“I was unaware of the forfeiture,” Emefiele told the appellate court.

He argued that the EFCC failed to notify him properly, claiming the agency published the interim forfeiture notice in a scarcely visible section of a newspaper, making it difficult to discover.

Additionally, Emefiele noted that he was preoccupied with managing three concurrent criminal cases in Abuja and Lagos at the time, which further impaired his ability to respond promptly to the notice. He alleged that despite ongoing legal interactions, the EFCC failed to disclose the forfeiture proceedings to him deliberately.

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However, the trial court rejected his submission, ruling that the anti-graft agency had adhered to due process and that the newspaper publication met the legal requirements for notification.

The judge maintained that the notice “could not reasonably be described as hidden.”

Unhappy with the outcome, Emefiele filed a notice of appeal on April 30, 2025. He is asking the Court of Appeal to reverse the trial court’s judgment delivered on April 28, 2025, and to nullify both the interim and final forfeiture orders dated November 1 and December 2, 2024, respectively. He also seeks approval for an application he submitted on January 28, 2025.

In his appeal, Emefiele claims the lower court misjudged his application and dismissed it without giving due attention to critical facts. He said the forfeiture orders were based on “hearsay, suspicion, and no proper evidence.”

He further maintained that he has both legal and equitable interests in the estate, contrary to the trial court’s finding that he failed to prove ownership.

“The entire ruling is a miscarriage of justice,” he stated.

He added, “The failure of the trial judge to properly evaluate the affidavit and documents before him is perverse and has caused a miscarriage of justice.

“The orders were made in breach of the 1999 Constitution and are therefore null and void.”

Meanwhile, Emefiele’s legal team has written to the Minister of Housing, urging the suspension of any move to sell the estate pending the outcome of the appeal.

“We are aware that the properties may soon be sold to the public. We have already served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an injunction,” the letter noted.

The federal government had earlier announced plans to auction the estate to low- and middle-income earners as part of its housing initiative.

Emefiele challenges forfeiture of 753-unit estate in Appeal Court