Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos made a significant ruling on Wednesday, June 5, granting an order of interim forfeiture of properties valued at a staggering N11,140,000,000.00.
These properties are allegedly linked to the
embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele. The
judge issued this order following a motion ex parte presented and argued by the
counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the esteemed
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Oyedepo. Oyedepo, supported by Bilkisu
Buhari-Bala and Chineye Okezie, laid out the case before the court, leading to
the decision to temporarily forfeit the properties to the Federal Government.
During the hearing, Oyedepo
apprised the court that Emefiele was under suspicion of acquiring these
properties through proxies, utilizing proceeds from fraudulent activities.
Notably, these properties are predominantly situated in upscale areas within
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The EFCC further implicated three CBN
Staff members, namely Obayemi Oluwaseun Teben, Akomolafe Adebayo, and Olubunmi
Makinde, as accomplices to Emefiele. Allegedly, these individuals leveraged
their positions and influence within the CBN to facilitate retail and special
allocation of foreign exchange to various companies, receiving kickbacks in
return.
In light of these revelations,
Justice Aneke directed the EFCC to publish the order in a widely circulated
newspaper, providing an opportunity for any interested party to challenge the
final order of forfeiture. The judge scheduled the next hearing for the 21st of
June, where the court will deliberate on the motion for final forfeiture,
marking a crucial step in this legal battle against corruption.
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