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Court Orders Final Forfeiture of $2m, Seven Properties Linked to Emefiele

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Court Orders Final Forfeiture of $2m, Seven Properties Linked to Emefiele

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, November 1, 2024, ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of $2.045m, seven landed properties and the two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust linked to a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Dipeolu gave the order, following a motion on notice filed and argued by a team of lawyers led by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The properties are: two fully detached duplexes of identical structures at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65A, Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos and a four-bedroom duplex at 12 A, Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Others are: an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm at No. 8A, Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Justice Akintayo Aluko, a vacation Judge, had, on August 15, 2024, ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties, following an ex parte application filed by the EFCC through its lawyer, C.C. Okezie.

Moving the application dated August 13, 2024 and filed August 14, 2024, Okezie had told the court that the properties, cash and shares were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities by Emefiele.

In his ruling, Justice Aluko had granted the application as prayed and also ordered the Commission to publish the interim order in any of these newspapers-The Punch, The Nation or The Guardian- and the EFCC website within 14days for any interested party to show cause why the final order of forfeiture should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

However, Emefiele failed to contest the forfeiture within the court’s stipulated time frame.

During the sitting on October 11, 2024 ,the EFCC counsel had applied for the final forfeiture of the properties.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture of the properties on Friday, Oyedepo told the court that the Commission had complied with the order of the court regarding the publication.

The Judge, after listening to the submissions of the EFCC’ s counsel, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties.

According to the Judge, Emefiele was not able to connect his lawful earnings from both Zenith Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the acquisition of the properties.

The court also held that the former CBN Governor failed to provide documents or links to show that he owned the properties.

Justice Dipeolu held that “ the conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies do not want to come to light”.

The judge further held “that the interested party has failed to demonstrate any lawful interest in the properties and that they were acquired from his legitimate earnings. I, therefore, order the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of all those properties…which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities”.

Visit www.efcc.gov.ng for more stories

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Gunmen k!ll President General of Ogidi community and one other in Anambra.

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Unidentified gunmen, suspected to be cultists, have k!lled a community leader and one other person in Anambra State.

The President-General of Ogidi community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ikwuka Okoye, popularly known as Anumili (pictured above), was k!lled on Friday, Feb. 6.

The attack was alleged to have been carried out by members of a rival cult group in revenge for the de@th of their leader, who was arrested and k!lled by local security operatives.

During the attack, which took place at the School Field, Ogidi, another man whose identity has yet to be ascertained was also gunned down.

The spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a press statement on Saturday.

Ikenga said the incident is allegedly linked to the recent capture and k!lling of a known notorious cultist within the community.

He said, “The Anambra State Police Command regrets the murd£r of the President-General of the Ogidi community and one other person. The incident, which occurred on the evening of February 6, 2026, at the School Field, Ogidi, is allegedly linked to the recent capture and k!lling of a known notorious cultist within the community.

“Following the report, police operatives swiftly took over the scene of the incident and commenced investigations. The command is currently working with eyewitness accounts and other available intelligence to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

“The Anambra State Police Command assures members of the public that all efforts are being intensified to bring those responsible to justice.

“Residents are urged to remain calm and cooperate with the police as investigations continue.

“Further developments will be communicated in due course.”

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Police bust syndicate behind nude photo blackmail in Lagos

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Men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, have apprehended three suspects who allegedly run a cyber blackmail and extortion scheme in the state.

According to the spokesperson of the unit, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, the suspects get a hold of their victims explicit photos and then threaten to release them if a ransom is not paid.

He said that the suspects, two males and a female, were apprehended after a petition was filed by a complainant who reported being repeatedly threatened by unknown individuals demanding money.

“The complainant received several phone calls in which the callers threatened to release her nude photographs to the public if she failed to pay them. Acting out of fear and emotional distress, she transferred money to the suspects.

The situation escalated when the suspects demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to formally petition the police,” he said

The police imagemaker state dthat upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Mr Kayode Ojapinwa, ordered the immediate deployment of operatives to investigate the matter.

“The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects. Investigations revealed that one of the suspects gained unlawful access to the complainant’s mobile device and fraudulently transferred her nude photographs to his own device. Further findings indicated that he conspired with the other suspects and other accomplices currently at large to demand and receive money from the complainant in several tranches,” he said

According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The image maker said that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and to recover all proceeds of the alleged crime.

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Catholic Priest Collapses And D!es In Front Of Congregation While Walking To Tabernacle To Return Holy Communion

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A Catholic priest has tragically passed away after suddenly collapsing in front of the congregation during Sunday mass.

The tragic incident took place last Sunday, February 1 in Wiesmath in the district of Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

Shortly after administering Holy Communion, 59-year-old priest Raimund Beisteiner was about to return the host to the tabernacle when he “suddenly” collapsed, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Vienna.

“Despite immediate professional assistance, he di£d in the church,” the statement said.

The mayor of Wiesmath, Erich Rasner, had also attended the Mass with many other believers and witnessed the dramatic scenes.

The shock in Wiesmath at the loss of the popular priest is great. Beisteiner had shaped the spiritual life of the parish for almost two decades and was highly regarded far beyond the community.

Rasner praised him as an “extremely conscientious, sensitive priest” and also emphasized the personal loss of a friendship that had grown over many years.

A prayer service was organized at short notice for the late priest. It was attended by numerous priests from the deanery as well as Archbishop Josef Grünwidl.

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