EFCC Secures Another Milestone Recovery

* Court orders final seizure of warehouse with 54 sewing machines loaded containers

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

Barely a few days after it secured a final forfeiture of 753 duplexes and other apartments in Abuja, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again secured another final forfeiture of a property along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The property is a warehouse measuring 1.925 hectares and situated on Km 8, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Magboro.

The final forfeiture was sequel to an order of Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Meanwhile, sources disclosed to THISDAY that the seized warehouse containing 54 general purpose steel containers belongs to a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele. 

Various shapes of sewing machines were however said to be inside the containers.

The judge had on November 28 issued an interim forfeiture of the assets after the commission had moved an application for their forfeiture. 

Justice Dipeolu, while granting the interim forfeiture, also directed the EFCC to publish the order in two national newspapers for any interested person to show cause why the said warehouse should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

Besides the warehouse, the court also ordered the forfeiture of the land upon which the warehouse is built.

At the resume hearing on Thursday, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court that the anti-graft agency had complied with the court’s directives to publish the assets in two national newspapers.  

Oyedepo, while citing Section 44(2) (B) of the Constitution and Section (17) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, urged the court to grant the final forfeiture of the assets. 

In a short ruling, the judge granted the application as prayed.

The forfeiture of the property is described as another milestone in the asset recovery drive of the EFCC.