Court docket orders forfeiture of over N178.9 million, homes linked to illegal actions
A Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos has ordered the ultimate forfeiture of N178,966,938, a number of landed properties and autos linked to suspected illegal actions to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria.
That is in accordance with a press release by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) posted on its official X account on Monday.
The forfeiture order follows investigations by the anti-graft company into property traced to a person believed to have acquired them by proceeds of illegal actions.
In response to the EFCC, the property are fairly suspected to be proceeds of illegal actions and have been ordered forfeited to the Federal Authorities of Nigeria.
Justice C.J. Aneke of the Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Lagos granted the ultimate forfeiture order on Monday, February 10, 2026, after contemplating a movement on discover filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the fee.
EFCC counsel, Zeenat Atiku, informed the court docket that no particular person or company entity got here ahead to contest the forfeiture regardless of being given sufficient alternative.
In response to studies, Stanley Akaria Chinemerem, accused of defrauding his employer, Godwin Uche Okearafor, a Lagos-based cosmetics entrepreneur, allegedly manipulated post-dated cheques issued by shoppers and diverted the proceeds into his private accounts with out authorisation.
Nevertheless, the fee mentioned no declare or objection was filed by any celebration inside the stipulated interval, prompting it to method the court docket for a last forfeiture order.
Among the many property lastly forfeited is a totally indifferent six-bedroom duplex constructed on roughly 722.332 sq. metres at Nnabuenyi Avenue, previously described as AMORC, inside the Onigbanko Royal Household Land, Abule Oshun, Amuwo Odofin Native Authorities Space of Lagos State.
Justice Aneke, after reviewing the appliance and supporting paperwork, held that the EFCC’s request had advantage and consequently ordered the ultimate forfeiture of the funds, properties and autos.
The EFCC has secured a number of main forfeiture orders and huge asset recoveries, displaying the size of its efforts to get better alleged proceeds of illegal actions throughout Nigeria.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie granted the ultimate forfeiture following an EFCC software when no celebration got here ahead to contest the possession.
The EFCC has additionally used public auctions to dispose of forfeited autos and different movable property following last forfeiture orders, giving members of the general public alternatives to buy property seized in legal and civil forfeiture actions.