A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has upheld the permanent forfeiture of a massive estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The sprawling property, located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, covers 150,500 square meters and features 753 duplexes and other apartments. It was permanently seized by the federal government following a December 2024 ruling by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which led the investigation, described it as the biggest single-asset recovery since the agency was founded in 2003.
Court documents allege the estate was funded through kickbacks from foreign exchange allocations and shady contracts during Emefiele’s time at the CBN. A Zenith Bank official, Ifeanyi Omeke, was reportedly handling the transactions, with title documents retrieved from his office.
Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled that the estate was clearly built with proceeds of crime, and no one successfully challenged the forfeiture. The decision deals a major blow to Emefiele and highlights the EFCC’s renewed drive against high-profile corruption.
