Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, 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 753-unit housing estate located in Lokogoma, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier secured a final forfeiture order on the estate. However, Emefiele, through his lawyer A. M. Kotoye, filed a motion as an interested party, arguing that he was not included in the original proceedings.
In his appeal, Emefiele is asking for an extension of time to challenge both the interim and final forfeiture orders issued on 2 and 24 December 2024, respectively. He contends that the EFCC failed to properly notify him, alleging that the interim forfeiture notice was published in an obscure part of a national newspaper, making it difficult for him to respond.
Emefiele also cited his involvement in multiple ongoing criminal trials in Abuja and Lagos at the time, which he said prevented him from discovering the publication in time.
However, the High Court, in a judgment delivered by Justice J. O. Onwuegbuzie, dismissed his motion. The court ruled that the EFCC had complied with Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, in publishing the notice. The judge also held that a half-page publication in a national newspaper could not reasonably be described as obscure.
Emefiele’s legal team is now pressing the Court of Appeal to set aside the forfeiture and allow him to present his case.