Court orders final forfeiture of $4.7 Million, properties linked to former CBN Governor Emefiele 

Presiding Judge Yellim Bogoro granted the final forfeiture application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a judgment delivered on Friday.

Justice Bogoro also ordered the final forfeiture of investments worth $900,000 traced to one of Emefiele’s close relatives, Anita Joy Omoile, Channels TV reported.

The judge had previously dismissed an application by an interested party seeking to stop the judgment. Subsequently, the final forfeiture application filed by EFCC counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala was granted.

In May 2024, the same court ordered an interim forfeiture of the funds and properties linked to Emefiele following an ex-parte application by the EFCC, represented by Buhari-Bala.

The funds, now forfeited to the federal government, were held in First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank accounts managed by individuals and entities, including Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, Exactquote Bureau De Change Ltd, Lipam Investment Services Limited, Tatler Services Limited, Rosajul Global Resources Ltd, and TIL Communication Nigeria Ltd.

Properties affected by the interim forfeiture include:

The EFCC cited Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution in its application, seeking the interim forfeiture on the grounds that the funds and properties are suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

According to the judge, “I find that the activities of the respondents here were unlawful.  

Why should they have a problem with dollars immediately after Godwin Emefiele left CBN as governor and salary could not be made? I hold that they are not legitimate business activities.  

Anita Omoile is a close crony of the former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele who has been given undue influence to unlawfully sway dollars from CBN. Consequently, I find that all the monies and properties in the schedule are finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.” 

Finding merit in the EFCC’s application, Justice Bogoro ordered the interim forfeiture and mandated the publication of the order in a national newspaper.

“The applicant should publish this order in any daily newspaper circulating all over the federation for anybody interested to show cause why the final order of forfeiture should not be made,” Justice Bogoro stated.

This notice invites interested parties to show cause within 14 days why a final forfeiture order should not be granted. The case is adjourned to July 2 for the motion for final forfeiture.