A report says that former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele is the owner of 753 duplexes in Abuja.
Newsone Nigeria had reported earlier that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, announced the single largest asset recovery since its inception in 2003 on Monday.
This online news platform understands that the forfeiture of the 753 duplexes in Abuja followed a ruling by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on the final forfeiture of an Abuja estate measuring 150,500 square metres containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.
According to the anti-graft agency, the estate, located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, belonged to a government official.
EFCC in a statement, said: “The forfeiture of the property to the federal government by a former top brass of the government was pursuant to EFCC’s mandate and policy directive of ensuring that the corrupt and fraudulent do not enjoy the proceeds of their unlawful activities,” the statement added.
The anti-graft agency said it relied on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14, 2006, and Section 44 (2) B of the Constitution of the 199 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to push its case.
Ruling on the Commission’s application for the final forfeiture of the property, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the respondent had not shown cause as to why he should not lose the property, “which has been reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities”.
“The property is hereby finally forfeited to the Federal Government,” the judge declared, according to the statement.
A few hours after the news of the forfeiture of the 753 duplexes in Abuja went viral, human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, took to the micro-blogging site, X formerly known as Twitter to claim that former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele is the owner of 753 duplexes in Abuja.
Sowore, former presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, who noted on Monday that the EFFC is now afraid of big thieves and has become their public relations officer, wrote: “I just heard from the grapevine that the 753 duplexes forfeited by an FCT court in Apo belong to Muhammadu Buhari’s CBN gov, Godwin Emefiele.”
I just heard from the grapevine that the 753 duplexes forfeited by an FCT Court in Apo belong to Muhammadu @MBuhari’s CBN Gov. Godwin @GodwinIEmefiele !
He reportedly built this estate and more with kickbacks. But the question is why @officialEFCC opted to cover up his…
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) December 2, 2024
Meanwhile, Newsone reports that Emefiele is standing trial on several charges bordering on corruption, including in the new naira redesign before the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Maitama, Abuja. Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the matter to December 4, 2024, and January 21, 2025, for continuation of trial.
