Emefiele Appeals Forfeiture Of 753 Duplexes In Abuja
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a judgment that granted the federal government ownership of a massive housing estate in the Lokogoma district of the nation’s capital.
The estate, comprising 753 residential units, was earlier forfeited to the government following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency had alleged that the estate was linked to proceeds of unlawful activities.
Though the estate was initially tied to an unnamed former government official, Emefiele, through his lawyer A.M. Kotoye insists he has a legal interest in the property and was unjustly excluded from the forfeiture proceedings.
He is therefore urging the appellate court to reverse the lower court’s decision.
In his appeal, Emefiele contended that he was not aware of the proceedings that led to the forfeiture, claiming the EFCC published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure part of a newspaper, making it nearly impossible to detect.
He also pointed out that he was preoccupied with defending himself in three separate criminal trials in both Abuja and Lagos at the time.
Furthermore, Emefiele accused the EFCC of deliberately hiding the case from him, despite ongoing legal interactions in other matters.
However, the trial court rejected these arguments, affirming that due process had been followed and that the publication of the notice met legal requirements.
The judge ruled that the notice “could not reasonably be described as hidden.”
Dissatisfied, Emefiele filed a notice of appeal on April 30, 2025, challenging the trial court’s ruling delivered on April 28, 2025.
He is also seeking to nullify both the interim and final forfeiture orders issued on November 1 and December 2, 2024, respectively, and revive his application filed on January 28, 2025.
According to the appeal, Emefiele argues that the lower court failed to properly evaluate the evidence and dismissed his application without adequate consideration of key facts.
He described the ruling as being based on “hearsay, suspicion, and no proper evidence,” and labeled it a “miscarriage of justice.”
Emefiele maintains that he holds both legal and equitable interests in the estate, even though the court found he had not provided sufficient proof of ownership.
“The trial judge’s failure to assess the affidavit and supporting documents amounts to a perverse decision and a gross miscarriage of justice,” Emefiele argued. “
The former CBN governor argued that the orders were made in violation 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 suspend any plans to sell the estate pending the outcome of the appeal.
The government had recently indicated plans to auction the properties to low- and middle-income earners.
“We understand the estate may soon be offered for sale. However, we have formally served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an application for an injunction,” the letter read.
The Court of Appeal is expected to schedule a hearing date in the coming weeks.
Emefiele Appeals Forfeiture Of 753 Duplexes In Abuja is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
