Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has denied ownership of the funds and properties recently ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
On Friday, Justice Yellim Bogoro granted the final forfeiture of $4.7 million, N830 million, and multiple properties allegedly linked to Emefiele. The order came after an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which sought the forfeiture of the assets said to have been acquired through illicit means. The judge also dismissed an application from an interested party attempting to stop the forfeiture ruling.
In response, Emefiele, through his legal representative, Olawale Fapohunda, issued a statement late Friday distancing himself and his immediate family from the assets. He maintained that while some of the forfeited assets belong to his relatives, they should not be attributed to him.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically disassociate our client, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, from the ownership of the funds and properties in question,” the statement read. “These assets do not belong to him or any member of his immediate family. The company DeepBlue Energy Limited, which has been mentioned in the reports, was established in 2009 and is owned by a relative of Mr. Emefiele, not by him personally.”
Emefiele’s legal team also pointed out that a previous ruling by Justice Aneke of the same Federal High Court had discharged an interim forfeiture order on the same assets now forfeited by Justice Bogoro.
“We urge all stakeholders and members of the public to take note of this clarification and refrain from associating these assets with Mr. Godwin Emefiele,” the statement concluded.
Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 to 2023, has been facing legal scrutiny following allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure. The EFCC has intensified efforts to recover assets allegedly linked to him as part of its broader anti-corruption drive.