Mathew Amaechi
Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele has taken his legal battle to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn a judgment that handed the federal government ownership of a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja.
The estate, located in the Lokogoma district of the capital, was seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a court order. While the property was initially linked to an unnamed ex-government official, Emefiele now claims a personal interest in the estate and insists he should have been part of the forfeiture proceedings.
“I was unaware of the forfeiture,” Emefiele said through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye. He maintains that the EFCC deliberately concealed the case from him, even as they were prosecuting him in other high-profile criminal matters in both Abuja and Lagos.
The former CBN chief contends that the EFCC’s publication of the interim forfeiture notice was tucked away in a little-known section of a newspaper, making it unlikely that he—or anyone—would notice it. He further argued that the agency’s decision to proceed without informing him was unjust and unconstitutional.
Despite these claims, the trial court ruled in the EFCC’s favor, stating that the publication met legal requirements and that Emefiele’s assertions did not prove that his rights were violated. The court held that there was no obligation to notify Emefiele directly, as the notice was deemed legally adequate.
Emefiele’s appeal, filed on April 30, 2025, seeks to nullify the interim and final forfeiture orders granted in November and December 2024, respectively. He accuses the lower court of failing to consider key evidence and argues that the decision was based on “hearsay, suspicion, and no proper evidence.”
“The entire ruling is a miscarriage of justice,” he said in his court filing. “The failure of the trial judge to properly evaluate the affidavit and documents before him is perverse and has caused a miscarriage of justice.”
He further asserted that the orders breached constitutional provisions and should be declared null and void.
In parallel with the appeal, Emefiele’s legal team has reached out to the Minister of Housing, urging a suspension of any plans to sell the estate pending the outcome of the case. “We are aware that the properties may soon be sold to the public. We have already served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an injunction,” the legal team’s letter stated.
The federal government had recently announced plans to auction the estate to low- and middle-income Nigerians as part of a broader housing initiative.
The Court of Appeal is yet to fix a date for hearing Emefiele’s petition.
