Court documents have tied former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele to a sprawling Abuja property comprising 753 duplexes and apartments.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) described the estate as the largest single recovery in its anti-corruption efforts.
Spanning 150,500 square metres in the Lokogoma District, the property was allegedly acquired with proceeds of fraud during Emefiele’s tenure at the CBN.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the FCT High Court ordered the estate’s forfeiture following an EFCC investigation.
Alleged Kickbacks and Crony Deals
The EFCC accused Emefiele of negotiating kickbacks in foreign exchange allocations and receiving bribes from contractors.
These illicit activities reportedly funded multiple high-value properties in Lagos and Abuja, with documents implicating his associate, Ifeanyi Omeke, in the transactions.
Legal Battles Mount
Emefiele faces multiple criminal charges, including procurement fraud and alleged forgery of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature.
He is also accused of approving the printing of N684.5 million notes at an inflated cost of N18.96 billion.
The recovered property has reportedly been abandoned since June 2023, shortly after Emefiele’s arrest by the Department of State Services.
This latest development underscores the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to recover assets linked to corruption and hold officials accountable.
