The Supreme Court has affirmed the final forfeiture of seven landed properties, $2.045 million and share certificates linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to the Federal Government.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five member panel led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and restored the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which had held that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
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The ruling brings a definitive end to a lengthy legal battle over the assets, which had moved through multiple levels of the court system since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission first moved to seize them.
Emefiele, who led the Central Bank of Nigeria for eight years before his removal, has faced multiple legal proceedings since leaving office, including separate criminal charges related to his tenure at the apex bank.
The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to strengthen the Federal Government’s broader asset recovery efforts, with anti graft agencies increasingly relying on non conviction based forfeiture proceedings to reclaim assets linked to public office.
Legal analysts say the judgment sets an important precedent for future forfeiture proceedings involving former public officials, reinforcing the courts’ willingness to uphold asset recovery rulings even after lengthy appeals.
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