Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge a ruling that ordered the final forfeiture of an estate comprising 753 housing units located in Lokogoma, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had secured both interim and final forfeiture orders against the estate, which was initially linked to another unnamed former government official.
However, Emefiele, through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, insists that he has a personal interest in the estate and was wrongfully excluded from the proceedings that led to the forfeiture.
In a notice of appeal filed on April 30, 2025, Emefiele is urging the appellate court to overturn the April 28 judgement and set aside the interim and final forfeiture orders issued on November 1 and December 2, 2024, respectively.
“I was unaware of the forfeiture,” Emefiele stated, claiming the EFCC concealed the process from him despite ongoing legal interactions between both parties on other charges.
The embattled former apex bank chief argued that the EFCC deliberately published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure section of a national newspaper, making it difficult for him to discover the proceedings..
He also told the court that he was simultaneously attending to three different criminal trials in Abuja and Lagos, further complicating his ability to track the publication.
His motion before the appellate court described the trial court’s decision as “a miscarriage of justice,” insisting that the judge failed to properly evaluate the facts and documents presented in support of his claims.
“The orders were based on hearsay, suspicion, and lacked proper evidence,” Emefiele maintained.
“The trial judge did not fairly assess my affidavit and supporting documents. The ruling is perverse and unconstitutional.”
Emefiele further argued that he possesses both legal and equitable interests in the property, contrary to the court’s position that he failed to prove ownership.
Meanwhile, his legal team has also petitioned the Minister of Housing to suspend any plans to dispose of the estate pending the outcome of the appeal.
“We are aware that the properties may soon be sold to the public,” the legal team wrote. “We have already served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an application for injunction.”
The federal government had recently announced intentions to auction the housing units to low- and middle-income earners as part of its affordable housing initiative.
This appeal comes amidst ongoing legal troubles for Emefiele, who is also facing multiple corruption-related charges across jurisdictions in Lagos and Abuja.
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