The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, filed an application to reclaim a large estate in the city that included 753 duplexes and apartments that had already been forfeited to the government, but the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, dismissed it on Monday.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie had ordered the final forfeiture of the estate, which is located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone CO9, Lokogoma District, Abuja, and is 150,462.84 square meters in size.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously obtained an interim and then a final forfeiture order of the property in favor of the Federal Government.
Emefiele also accused the EFCC of deliberately concealing the forfeiture proceedings despite their frequent interactions with him over other pending charges.
The judge rejected Emefiele’s argument that the publication was obscure, stating that the half-page notice in a national newspaper like Punch could not reasonably be described as hidden.
Justice Onwuegbuzie’s ruling emphasized that although the principle of functus officio—a court becoming powerless after delivering judgment—was argued, the court retained the authority to review its decisions under appropriate circumstances.
He also noted that Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, governs notice requirements in forfeiture proceedings.
According to Justice Onwuegbuzie, Emefiele has ample opportunity over 14 days to challenge the forfeiture but failed to act. He therefore dismissed the motion, resolving the sole issue in favour of the EFCC.
