The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disclosed that the owner of the recovered 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja is the sacked Chairman of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The anti-graft commission made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by Dele Oyewale, its Head of Media and Publicity.
While appreciating positive commentaries and reactions of Nigerians as regards the record-breaking recovery and securing of the final forfeiture of the Estate to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the agency noted that the commendations would spur the commission to do more.
The commission, however, frowned at what it described as an allegation of a cover-up of the identity of the promoters of the Estate by some individuals, saying such development not only stands logic on the head, it also portrays them as unpatriotic and rabble-rousers.
Oyewale explained that the proceedings for the forfeiture of the Estate were in line with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act which is a civil proceeding that allows for action-in-rem rather than action-in-personam.
He said action-in-personam gives way for legal actions against a property and not an individual, especially in a situation of an unclaimed property.
According to him, the Act allows one to take up a forfeiture proceeding against a chattel that is not a juristic person, defending the commission’s earlier decision of making the owner of the Estate unknown.
He mentioned that proceedings that yielded the final forfeiture of the Estate were products of actionable intelligence available to the Commission, explaining how the Commission approached the court for an order of final forfeiture before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court granted it on Monday, December 2, 2024.
Securing such a landmark forfeiture, according to my the commission, is a testament that monstrous corrupt act within public office domain would not be covered.
Oyewale assured that the EFCC will continue to safeguard the financial space of the nation against manipulators and organised brigandage.
He revealed that the substantive criminal investigation on the matter is ongoing, pledging that EFCC is unwavering in its no-sacred-cow approach to every citizen.
