Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a court ruling that granted the federal government ownership of a vast estate comprising 753 housing units in Abuja.
The estate, located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, spans approximately 150,500 square metres.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously secured interim and final forfeiture orders for the property on 1 November and 2 December 2024, respectively.
The EFCC alleges that the estate was acquired using proceeds from unlawful activities during Emefiele’s tenure as CBN governor.
Court documents suggest that Emefiele and his associates used three companies to pay a total of ₦2.2 billion for the property, funds the EFCC claims were derived from illicit foreign exchange transactions and contract kickbacks.
Emefiele, through his legal counsel A.M. Kotoye (SAN), contends that he was not given adequate notice of the forfeiture proceedings. He argues that the EFCC published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure section of a national newspaper, making it difficult for him to respond in a timely manner.
Additionally, he cites his involvement in three separate criminal trials in Abuja and Lagos during the relevant period as a hindrance to discovering the publication.
In his appeal filed on 30 April 2025, Emefiele seeks to: reverse the judgment delivered on April 28, 2025, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo; annul the interim and final forfeiture orders dated 1 November and 2 December 2024, respectively; and for the court to grant his application filed on 28 January 2025, challenging the forfeiture.
Emefiele maintains that he has both legal and equitable interests in the estate, despite the court’s assertion that he failed to provide proof of ownership.
He describes the ruling as a “miscarriage of justice,” stating, “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 entire ruling is a miscarriage of justice,” Emefiele declared. “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 government to halt all plans to sell the estate until the appeal is resolved.
The federal government had recently announced intentions to auction the estate to low- and middle-income Nigerians.
“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 stated.
The Court of Appeal is yet to set a date for hearing the appeal.
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