Emefiele: Court Forfeits 7 Landed Properties, Over $2m

A Lagos Federal High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of cash sum of $2.045 million allegedly linked to the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele.

Additionally, the Court, presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko also ordered interim forfeiture of the seven landed properties linked to the sacked apex bank Chief over alleged corruption charges.

The Court documents listed the affected lands as follows: “Two fully detached duplex of identical structures, lying being and situate at No. 17B Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped/bare land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 LYING, being and situate at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow lying, being and situate at No. 65A Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; and four bedroom duplex lying, being and situate at 12A Probyn Road, Ikoyi;

Others are Industrial complex under construction on a 22-plot of land, lying, being and situate in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm OF lying, being and situate at No. 8A Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm lying, being and situate at 2A Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Similarly, Justice Aluko further ordered the interim forfeiture of 2 shares shares certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited trust.

The Court gave interim forfeiture orders after hearing the application filed and moved by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who led Chineye C. Okezie and Zeenat Atiku Bala, in the suit marked FHC/L/MISC/500/24.

Oyedepo had in the application urged the Court to make the order because the the anti-graft agency reasonably suspects that the money and others items sought to be forfeited were proceeds of unlawful activities.

According to him, the orders sought for are pursuant to Section 17 of the advance fee fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006, Section 44 (2)(B) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

He also told the Court that the motion ex parte is supported with an affidavit deposed to by one Idi Musa, an Investigator attached to the Lagos office of the anti-graft Commission.

The deponent’s claims in the affidavit cited by Forefront News read in part; “That I am one of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission assigned to investigate the damning intelligence report received by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission in respect of monumental fraudulent activities perpetrated by some senior officers of the Central Bank of Nigeria through which huge sums of money were fraudulently converted and transferred for personal use.

“That the Commission whilst investigating the alleged monumental fraud carried out by the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and his Cronies traced and discovered several properties reasonably suspected to have been acquired and or developed with proceeds of unlawful activities.

“That the said properties particularized in Schedules ‘A’ and ‘B’ herein, having been reasonably suspected to have been acquired/ developed with proceeds of unlawful activities are now sought to be forfeited to the federal Government of Nigeria in the interim.

“That in the cause of this investigation, it was revealed that the erstwhile CBN governor negotiates kickbacks in return for allocation of Foreign Exchange to some companies who were in desperate need of foreign exchange for their lawful and legitimate businesses.

“That upon investigation, it was revealed that one Ifeanyi Omeke, a Deputy General Manager and Head, Litigation of Zenith Bank Plc, who worked closely with Godwin Emefiele ran several errands for him which included purchase and perfection of title documents for several properties located in highbrow areas of Lagos. And that upon a search conducted in the office premises of Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke by the operatives, several seals for various companies including but not limited to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited were recovered.

“That the said seals were kept in custody of Mr. Ifeanyi Collins Omeke by Godwin Emefiele. And that Investigation has revealed that all seven companies listed above are suspected to be shell companies used by Godwin Emefiele as vehicles for money laundering and holding proceeds of his illicit activities.

“That sometime in 2018, one Olusola Bodunde acquired a parcel of land located at Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos and partnered with one Idowu Sharafa to develop three units of 5 bedroom duplexes with attached BQ on the land. And that sometime in 2020, one Ifeanyi Omeke approached Mr. Olusola Bodunde and subsequently paid the total sum of N460, 000, 000. 00 (Four Hundred and Sixty Million Naira) for two of the three developed duplexes, purchased in the name of Amrash Ventures Limited, all on behalf and on the instructions of Godwin Emefiele.

“That the sum of Two Million, Forty Five Thousand Dollars ($2,045,000.00) and the shares certificate, were also recovered in the office of Mr. Collins Ifeanyi Omeke at the Zenith Bank Head office on Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“That most of the proceeds of Godwin Emefiele’s illegal activities were invested in the acquisition of various properties now sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. And that the properties now sought to be forfeited were not acquired with proceeds of any legitimate earnings rather from funds reasonably suspected to have been derived from proceeds of unlawful activities.

“That from findings of our investigation, I also know as a fact and verily believe that the properties sought to be forfeited were acquired in the name of cooperate entities with a view to concealing the unlawful origin of the funds used for their acquisition. And that the title document in respect of the properties listed in schedule A herein were recovered by the team in the course of this investigation.

After listening to the submissions by the EFCC’s Counsel, reading through all the processes filed and the plethora of legal authorities cited, Justice Aluko granted the interim forfeiture of the money, the share certificates and the landed properties.

The Judge said the interim forfeiture was necessary to prevent the dissipation of assets suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

In directing the EFCC to also publish the interim forfeiture order in national newspapers to enable any anyone who is interested in the properties to appear before it, the Court said such person(s) must show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the said properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).

Consequently, the Court adjourned the matter to 5th September 2024 for further hearing.