Judge pulls out of Emefiele’s $2m forfeiture case
Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has recused himself from handling the $2m forfeiture case involving former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The judge, on Thursday, ordered the return of the case file to the Administrative Judge for reassignment and further instructions.
The matter pertains to an interim forfeiture order granted by Justice Akintayo Aluko on August 15, 2024.
The order involved the temporary forfeiture of $2.045m and several properties linked to Emefiele, following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, through its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
The properties ordered to be forfeited by the court include two fully detached duplexes of identical structures, located at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped land measuring 1919.592 sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; and a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Other properties include an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60 sqm at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi; and a full duplex with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87 sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The judge also ordered the temporary forfeiture of two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust belonging to Emefiele.
After granting the motion, Justice Aluko further ordered the EFCC to publish the forfeiture notice in a well-circulated national newspaper within 14 days, allowing any interested party to show cause and explain why the money and properties should not be finally forfeited.
However, when the matter came up on Thursday for the hearing of all pending applications, Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), informed the court that his application seeking a stay of proceedings was still pending.
He explained that the application requested a stay of all proceedings pending the hearing and determination of the criminal charge filed against Emefiele before a sister court.
Oyedepo, however, insisted that the application to show cause should be heard first.
After a prolonged argument by both counsel, Justice Dipeolu ruled that, given the contentious nature of the matter and the fact that his term as vacation judge ends on Friday, he would not have adequate time to hear all the pending applications and rule on them.
Consequently, he adjourned the matter until October 4, 2024, and ordered the case file to be returned to the Administrative Judge for reassignment and further directives.
