The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for final forfeiture of a warehouse occupying 1.925 hectares of land along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State and 54 general purpose steel containers to the Federal Government.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu granted the request after EFCC lawyer moved an application for the forfeiture of the assets.
The lawyer to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had on 28 November approached the court via a motion ex parte to seek the forfeiture of the assets.
According to documents put before the court, EFCC said the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
Based on the documents, Justice Dipeolu had ordered the interim forfeiture of the assets.
The Judge also directed the EFCC to publish the order in the national newspaper, for any interested person to come before the court and show cause why it should not be finally forfeited.
However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, Oyedepo told the court that no one had come forward to lay claims to the assets.
He, therefore, submitted urged the court to make a final forfeiture order of the assets pursuant to Section 44(2)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended); and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
Oyedepo urged the court to make, “a final forfeiture order to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule A; a warehouse built on a landed property measuring 1.925 hectares, lying, being and situate at Km 8, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Magboro and 54 General purpose steel containers, which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”
Justice Dipeolu, granted the relief sought and ordered the final forfeiture of all the assets after listening to the lawyer.
Justice Dipeolu held: “The application succeeds and same is accordingly granted.
“A final forfeiture order is hereby granted forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule A herein which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”
