Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has appealed a court ruling that granted the federal government permanent ownership of a 753-unit residential estate located in Lokogoma, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously obtained a court order for the forfeiture of the property, which was originally linked to an unidentified former government official.
Emefiele, however, has asserted a personal stake in the estate, claiming he was not adequately notified of the legal proceedings.
Through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, Emefiele told the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the forfeiture notice was published in an obscure section of a national newspaper making it easy to overlook especially as he was simultaneously facing three separate criminal trials in Abuja and Lagos.
Emefiele further accused the EFCC of deliberately concealing the forfeiture process from him, despite their ongoing interactions in other legal matters.
The trial court, however, rejected this claim, ruling that the EFCC followed due process and that the public notice met legal standards.
On April 30, 2025, Emefiele filed his appeal seeking to overturn the April 28 final forfeiture judgment, nullify both the interim and final forfeiture orders issued on November 1 and December 2, 2024, and secure approval for a motion he filed on January 28, 2025.
He argues that the trial court relied on hearsay and insufficient evidence, failing to consider documents that, according to him, establish his legal and beneficial interest in the estate.
“This is a clear miscarriage of justice,” Emefiele stated, maintaining that the forfeiture orders violate provisions of the 1999 Constitution and should be set aside.
In a parallel move, his legal team has written to the Minister of Housing, urging a halt to any planned sale of the estate pending the outcome of the appeal.
The federal government has recently signaled intentions to sell the estate units to low- and middle-income Nigerians as part of a broader housing initiative.
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