Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, February 21, 2025, ordered the final forfeiture of $4,719,054, (Four Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-one Thousand Dollars, Fifty-four Cents) and N830,875,611 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-five Thousand, Six Hundred and Eleven Naira) as well as a number of properties linked to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
The judge gave the order, following a motion on notice filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Commission had through the motion, filed by its counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, sought a final forfeiture of the monies and properties “having been established to be proceeds of unlawful activity pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section 44(2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The monies which are domiciled in First Bank, Titan Bank and Zenith Bank, are being operated by 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.
The properties consist of 94 units of 11 storey buildings under construction on No. 2, Otunba Elegushi 2nd Avenue (formerly Club Road), Ikoyi, Lagos; AM Plaza; 11 storey office space, situated on 1E, Otunba Adedoyin Crescent, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, Lagos; Imore Industrial Park 1, Esa Street; Imoore Land purchased with (Deep Bive Industrial Town, Oriade LCDA, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos; Mitrewood and Tatler Warehouse (Furniture Plant at Bogije) near Elemoro Lagos, Owolomi Village, Ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria; Closed PFA Fund, Block B Lot Twin Completed Property Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos.
Others are: a plot of land measuring 1,038.069sqm, located in Lekki Foreshore Estate Scheme, Block A, Plot 4, Foreshore Estate, Eti-Osa, LGA; an estate located on 100, Cottonwood Coppel Texas Drive, Coppel, Texas, owned by Lipam Investment Services; a Land at No. 1 Bunmi Owulude Street, (Maruwa), Lekki Phase 1, Lagos and a property situated on No.8 Bayo Kuku Road, lkoyi Lagos.
The court also ordered the final forfeiture of €20,000 (Twenty Thousand Euros) and £1,999.50 (One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety-nine Thousand, Fifty Shillings) traced to Exactquote Bureau de Change; an investment worth $900,000 (Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars) traced to Anita Joy Omoile in Titan Bank; investment worth $4,414,801.76
(Four Million, Four Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and one Dollars, Seventy-six Cents) traced to Deep Blue Energy Service Limited in First Bank; and N283,086,186.73 (Two Hundred and Eight-three Million, Eighty-six Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-six Naira, Seventy-three Kobo) traced to Lipam investment Services.
