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Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has taken legal steps to challenge the federal government’s takeover of a massive 753-unit housing estate located in the Lokogoma area of Abuja.
Mr Emefiele has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a ruling that granted the final forfeiture of the estate to the government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had secured an initial interim forfeiture order in late 2024, which was later made permanent.
The property was originally linked to an unnamed former public official. However, Mr Emefiele has now come forward to claim an interest in the estate.
Through his lawyer, Mr A. M. Kotoye (SAN), Mr Emefiele argued that he was never involved in the legal process that led to the forfeiture.
He insisted that the EFCC deliberately excluded him from the proceedings, despite the fact that he was already facing other criminal trials and legal issues involving the agency.
In the appeal filed on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, Mr Emefiele stated, “I was unaware of the forfeiture until much later. The EFCC deliberately concealed the proceedings from me, even though we had other ongoing legal matters. I was denied a fair hearing, which is a fundamental right under the Constitution.”
He also claimed that the EFCC only published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure corner of a newspaper, making it extremely difficult to find or notice. Mr Emefiele argued that such a method of notification was unfair, especially considering the seriousness of the case and the value of the property.
In addition, the former CBN Governor explained that he had been busy attending to multiple criminal trials in Abuja and Lagos, which made it even harder for him or his legal team to discover the notice on time.
The trial court had earlier dismissed Mr Emefiele’s objections, maintaining that all necessary legal procedures were followed. The court ruled that the EFCC’s method of public notice was in line with the law and sufficient for the purpose of the forfeiture.
However, in his appeal, Mr Emefiele is arguing that the judgment was based on suspicion, unproven claims, and lacked credible evidence. He said the decision of the lower court amounted to a miscarriage of justice and violated his constitutional rights to a fair hearing and protection of property.
Mr Emefiele’s legal team has also written a formal letter to the Minister of Housing, requesting that any planned sale or transfer of the housing estate be put on hold until the Court of Appeal has delivered its judgment.
As of the time of this report, the federal government has not issued a response to Mr Emefiele’s appeal. The case is expected to generate further public interest due to its high profile and the value of the property involved.
