A Federal High Court in Lagos has again ordered the temporary forfeiture of $1.4 million related to Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Justice Ayokunle Faji ruled that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge also directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper, giving anyone interested in the money sought to be forfeited 14 days to appear before the Court and show cause why the final forfeiture order should not be issued.
The court granted the following directions while approving an ex parte motion filed by Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, counsel of the EFCC.
The money forfeited in the interim is believed to be in Donatone Limited’s account and held at Titan Bank Limited.
Justice Faji has deferred the case until June 25 for the final forfeiture hearing.
On May 23, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the same court ordered the temporary forfeiture of $4,719,054, N830,875,611, and numerous assets associated with Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Mrs. Buhari-Bala informed the court today that the orders requested are pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006, and Section 44 (2)(B) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
She stated that the court has the legislative authority to give the requested reliefs under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
“The funds sought to be forfeited are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
Mrs. Buhari-Bala further informed the court that the motion Exparte is backed by an affidavit attested to by David Jayeoba, an EFCC investigator.
According to the affidavit, the deponent stated that his commission received credible and directed intelligence that resulted in the tracing of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities warehoused in the Donatone Limited Titan Trust Bank account.
The deponent revealed that while investigating the enormous fraud perpetrated by the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, and his cohorts, the EFCC found a large sum of money warehoused and disguised in the account of Donatone Limited, which is based in Titan Trust Bank.
He stated that the investigation revealed that some of the brains behind the fraudulent concealment of funds reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of Emefiele’s unlawful activities are the natural persons behind Donatone Limited, Uzeobo Anthony and Adebanjo Olurotimi, both of whom are directors of the company.
The deponent went on to say: “Between 2021 and 2022, when access to Forex in Nigeria was difficult, several international entities operating in Nigeria had to resort to different means to source Forex.”
That Uzeobo Anthony and Adebanjo Olurotimi used the firm, to collect bribes and gratification on behalf of Godwin Emefiele, to get approval for accessing Forex. And that one of the entities (NP) paid a total sum of $26,552 million USD, into the account of firm domiciled in Titan Trust account number 2000000500.
“That the said credits came into the account of firm on November 9, 2021: $6,450,000; November 5, 2021: $6,050,000.00; December 16, 2021: $5,400,000.00; December 23, 2021: $652,000; January 31 2022; $3,000,000.00 and September 21, 2022: $5,000,000.00.
“The investigation traced the funds to having been fixed into interest-yielding accounts, dissipated and laundered through a foreign account in Mauritius, and transported back to Nigeria under disguise.
“That of the total sum of $26, 555, 000.00 US dollars received by firm, the balance standing in the said account as at today is the sum of $1, 426, 175.14 million USD.
“That it is the balance in the account that the applicant seeks to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria, which has been traced to be the proceeds of unlawful activities of (GE) and his cronies.
That investigation further revealed that the international entities sourcing for forex were pressured into parting with huge funds to access forex during the period.
“That the signatories to the account warehousing the sum of $1, 426, 175.14 million USD, sought to be forfeited are at large and are making frantic efforts to dissipate the funds electronically.
And based on our investigation findings, the funds sought to be forfeited are proceeds of unlawful activities of (GE) and his cronies. And that it is in the interest of justice to grant this application.”
It should be noted that on May 25, 2024, Justice Yelim Bogoro ordered the temporary seizure of $4.7 million, N830 million, and various property assets associated to Emefiele.
The monies forfeited to the Federal Government in the interim were said to be warehoused in First Bank, Titan Bank, and Zenith Bank, all of which are operated by Omoile Anita Joy, Deep Blue Energy Service Limited, Exactquote Bureau De Change Ltd, Lipam Investment Services Limited, Tatler Services Limited, Rosajul Global Resources Ltd, and TIL Communication Nigeria Ltd.
While the properties forfeited in the interim are: His properties forfeited to the Federal Government include 94 Units of an 11-floor building under construction at 2, Otunba Elegushi 2nd Avenue (Formerly Club) Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; AM Plaza, 11-floor office space, situated on 1E, Otunba Adedoyin Crescent, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, Lagos; Imore Industrial Park 1, Esa Street, Imoore Land purchased with (Deep Bive Industrial Town, Oriade LCDA, Amuwo Odofin LGA, Lagos, Mitrewo and Tatler Warehouse (Furniture Plant at Bogije) near Elemoro Lagos, Owolomi Village, ibeju-Lekki LGA, Lagos and two properties purchased from Chevron Nigeria, Closed PFA Fund, Block B. Lot twin completed property in Lakes Estate, Lekki, Lagos
