A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 52 terrace and maisonette housing units in the Lekki area of Lagos State to the Federal Government after ruling that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Alexander Owoeye delivered the judgment while granting an application filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The anti-graft agency disclosed on Saturday that the properties, located at Mercyville Estate, Covenant Way, off New Road, Ilasan, Lekki, were recovered from Fielddreams Limited, Ifeanyi Nweke and Amex Savings and Loans Limited.
The EFCC said its counsel, Franklin Ofoma, urged the court to grant a final forfeiture order after investigations established reasonable grounds to believe that the properties were acquired through proceeds of unlawful activities.
According to the commission, the application was backed by a 31-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Afolabi Oladele, a litigation officer in the agency’s Legal Department.
The forfeiture followed a legal process that began in August 2024 when the court granted an interim forfeiture order over the properties upon an ex parte application by the EFCC.
In compliance with the court’s directive, the commission published the interim order in a national newspaper, inviting interested parties to appear and show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The respondents subsequently challenged the application, claiming the funds used to develop the estate were generated from the sale of 29 housing units valued at about N1.9 billion.
However, the EFCC argued that the respondents later contradicted themselves by claiming some of the housing units had not been completed, despite previously stating that construction had been completed in 2020 with proceeds from the earlier sales.
The commission also told the court that the second respondent, Ifeanyi Nweke, was facing criminal charges before two Lagos State High Courts but had repeatedly failed to appear for arraignment.
It added that two arrest warrants had been issued against him and that he also failed to honour an administrative bail granted by the commission.
In her ruling, Justice Owoeye held that the respondents’ affidavit contained material contradictions that rendered it unreliable.
The judge ruled that the court could not choose between conflicting versions of the respondents’ evidence and consequently struck out the affidavit opposing the forfeiture application.
She held that with no credible evidence challenging the EFCC’s case, the commission had successfully established reasonable grounds to suspect that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Owoeye consequently granted the application and ordered the permanent forfeiture of the 52 housing units to the Federal Government.
The ruling adds to a series of recent asset recovery victories recorded by the EFCC.
In recent days, courts have also ordered the final forfeiture of 48 properties linked to a former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, as well as jewellery, luxury vehicles and cash recovered from businesswoman Aisha Achimugu.
The Supreme Court also recently affirmed the final forfeiture of mansions, land, share certificates and over $2 million linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
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