Emefiele Fights Back! Ex-CBN Governor Appeals Seizure Of 753 Luxury Abuja Homes

Embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a ruling that granted the federal government ownership of a massive estate comprising 753 housing units in Abuja’s Lokogoma district.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier secured a court order authorizing the forfeiture of the estate, which was initially linked to another unnamed former government official.

Represented by his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, Emefiele argued that he was unjustly excluded from the original proceedings despite having a legal interest in the property. He told the court he was unaware of the forfeiture order, claiming the EFCC deliberately published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure section of a newspaper, making it easy to miss.

Emefiele further explained that he was preoccupied with defending himself in three separate criminal cases in Abuja and Lagos at the time, which hindered his awareness of the publication. He accused the EFCC of intentionally keeping the forfeiture case hidden from him, despite ongoing engagement over other legal matters.

The trial court, however, dismissed these claims, ruling that due process had been followed and that the publication met legal requirements. The judge noted that the notice “could not reasonably be characterised as concealed.”

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Emefiele filed his appeal on April 30, 2025. He is seeking to overturn the judgment delivered on April 28, as well as the interim and final forfeiture orders issued on November 1 and December 2, 2024. He also asked the court to accept his initial application filed on January 28, 2025.

Emefiele contends that the lower court misjudged the facts of his case and dismissed his claims without due consideration. He described the court’s conclusions as based on “hearsay, suspicion, and inadequate evidence.” He insisted he has both legal and equitable interests in the estate, despite the court stating he failed to prove ownership.

Calling the ruling a “miscarriage of justice,” Emefiele stated:

“The failure of the trial judge to properly evaluate the affidavit and documents before him is perverse and has resulted in a miscarriage of justice. The orders were made in violation of the 1999 Constitution and are, therefore, null and void.”

Meanwhile, his legal team has formally petitioned the Minister of Housing to halt any plans to sell the estate, pending the resolution of the appeal.

“We are aware that there are plans to auction the properties to the public,” the letter read. “We have served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and a motion for injunction.”

The federal government had recently announced its intention to sell the estate to low- and middle-income Nigerians as part of an affordable housing initiative.