LAGOS: The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a warehouse built on a 1.925-hectare plot of land along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. The court also ordered the final forfeiture of 54 general-purpose steel containers.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu issued the ruling after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an application for the forfeiture, as no individual or organization came forward to claim the assets.
The EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had approached the court on November 28 with an ex parte motion seeking the forfeiture, presenting evidence that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities and linked to Godwin Emefiele the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The court initially ordered an interim forfeiture and instructed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow anyone interested to challenge it. However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, Oyedepo informed the court that the EFCC had complied with this directive and no claims had been made.
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Oyedepo argued that the final forfeiture order was in accordance with Section 44(2)(B) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction. He requested that the court grant a final forfeiture of the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
After reviewing the submission and the relevant legal documents, Justice Dipeolu granted the request, ordering the final forfeiture of the assets to the Federal Government. Justice Dipeolu concluded, The application succeeds and is accordingly granted.
A final forfeiture order is hereby granted, forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria the properties listed in Schedule A, which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”
