Kehinde Fajobi
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven high-value properties, and two share certificates linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
In a ruling on Friday, presiding Judge Deinde Dipeolu confirmed that neither Emefiele nor any other interested party challenged the interim forfeiture, which led to the final ruling.
Judge Dipeolu held that Emefiele failed to demonstrate a legitimate link between his earnings as a former bank staff and CBN official and the acquisition of the assets.
The court ruled that, given the lack of evidence connecting the funds and properties to lawful sources, the assets should be permanently forfeited to the government.
The forfeited assets include the sum in cash, seven choice properties, and share certificates from Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust.