The Federal High Court in Lagos has set November 1, 2024, to rule on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) application for the final forfeiture of $2.045 million, seven prime properties, and shares linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
On the same date, the court will also rule on Emefiele’s formal application to stay proceedings.
On August 15, 2024, the court had allowed the EFCC to temporarily seize the assets and ordered that interested parties be given the opportunity to contest the forfeiture.
At Friday’s hearing, EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo applied for the final forfeiture, which was not contested. However, Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, argued that his client had shown enough reason for the court to reject the forfeiture request.
The court had earlier refused to stay proceedings despite Emefiele’s appeal to overturn the temporary forfeiture order. Justice Deinde Dipeolu ruled that no appeal could be heard until the trial court makes a substantive decision. Consequently, the court dismissed Ojo’s request to halt proceedings.
He said, “We’re urging your lordship to stay proceedings pending the hearing and determination of the appeal court in order to avoid judicial rascality.”
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had, however, objected insisting that no application from Emefiele was taken and ruled on that crystallised to an appeal.
Oyedepo said: “My lord, how can the defendant in this case rush to the Court of Appeal because the (Federal High) Court returned the (case) file to the administrative judge for assignment, owing to the fact that the annual vacation of the court ends on the next adjourned date?
“I submit with due respect that the defendant just went to dump mere documents in the registry of the Appeal Court. Therefore, I urge the court to hold that there is no appeal.”
Oyedepo further argued that the former CBN governor’s appeal could not halt the proceedings because the court’s permission had not been obtained, which is a mandatory requirement when an appeal is based on a combination of facts and legal issues.
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