The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the final forfeiture of seven landed properties, the sum of **$2,045,000 (Two Million, Forty-Five Thousand United States Dollars)**, and share certificates linked to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), **Godwin Emefiele**, to the Federal Government.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on **Friday, July 17, 2026**, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Saulawa, set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal and restored the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which had ordered the final forfeiture of the assets on the grounds that they were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Following the Federal High Court’s forfeiture order, Emefiele appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour by overturning the judgment. Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s decision, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) approached the Supreme Court, which has now reinstated and affirmed the trial court’s ruling.
The assets forfeited to the Federal Government include:
* A fully detached duplex of identical structures at **No. 17B Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos**;
* An undeveloped parcel of land measuring **1,919.592 square metres**, covered by Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340, located at **Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos**;
* A bungalow at **No. 65A Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos**;
* A four-bedroom duplex at **12A Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos**;
* An industrial complex under construction on **22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State**;
* Eight units of semi-detached apartments on a **2,457.60-square-metre** plot at **No. 8A Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, Lagos**; and
* A full duplex with all its appurtenances on a **2,217.87-square-metre** plot at **2A Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos**.
The apex court also upheld the forfeiture of **$2,045,000** and the share certificates of **Queensdorf Global Fund Limited** to the Federal Government.
The forfeiture order was initially granted on **November 1, 2024**, by Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in **Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/500/24**, following an application filed by the EFCC through its Director of Public Prosecution, **Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN**.
The application was brought pursuant to **Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006**, and **Section 44(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)**.
In support of the application, the EFCC relied on an affidavit deposed to by its investigating officer, **David Jayeoba**, who stated that investigations revealed the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, the final forfeiture of the seven landed properties, the **$2.045 million**, and the share certificates has been conclusively upheld, bringing the legal dispute over the assets to a close.