Court orders forfeiture of Emefiele’s 1.9-hectare warehouse, 54 containers
On Thursday, the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of a warehouse and a plot of land measuring 1.925 hectares along the Lagos/Ibadan expressway in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The court also ordered the permanent forfeiture of 54 general-purpose steel containers.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu made the ruling after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an application for the forfeiture, following the failure of any individual or organization to claim the assets.
Earlier, on November 28, the judge had granted an interim forfeiture order, directing the EFCC to publish the ruling in national newspapers to give interested parties an opportunity to contest the forfeiture. At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) informed the court that the commission had complied with the order.
Oyedepo argued that the final forfeiture was warranted under Section 44(2)(B) of the Nigerian Constitution, 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 order the final forfeiture of the assets, which were suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means.
After considering the submissions and reviewing the relevant processes and legal authorities, Justice Dipeolu granted the EFCC’s request and ordered the final forfeiture of the warehouse, land, and steel containers to the federal government.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.
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