Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has taken a fresh legal step to challenge the government’s control of a large housing estate in Abuja. Emefiele has filed a petition at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a lower court’s decision that gave the government full ownership of the estate, which comprises 753 housing units located in Lokogoma, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier obtained a court order to seize the estate. The property was initially linked to another unnamed former government official, but Emefiele says he has a stake in the estate and should have been involved in the legal process. Through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, he is asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment made by the trial court.
Emefiele claims he did not know about the forfeiture of the property. According to him, the EFCC only published the interim forfeiture notice in a small, hardly visible section of a newspaper, which made it difficult for him to see. He told the court that at the time, he was handling three criminal cases in both Abuja and Lagos, which made it even harder to notice the publication.
He also accused the EFCC of deliberately hiding the forfeiture case from him, despite the fact that the commission was already in contact with him over other matters. However, the trial court dismissed his argument, saying that the EFCC had followed the proper legal procedures and that the newspaper notice was enough to inform him. The judge further stated that the notice “could not reasonably be described as hidden.”
Unhappy with the decision, Emefiele filed an appeal on April 30, 2025. He asked the Court of Appeal to overturn the judgment handed down on April 28, 2025, and to cancel both the interim and final forfeiture orders that were issued on November 1, 2024, and December 2, 2024, respectively. He also requested the court to grant his application filed on January 28, 2025.
Emefiele’s appeal letter argues that the trial court misunderstood his application and wrongly dismissed it without giving proper attention to important facts. He further said that the court based its orders on “hearsay, suspicion, and no proper evidence.”
He insists that he has both legal and equitable rights to the estate, despite the court’s claim that he did not provide enough proof of ownership. Emefiele described the entire ruling as “a miscarriage of justice” and accused the trial judge of failing to carefully review the affidavit and documents before making a decision. He added that the orders were made in violation of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and should be declared null and void.
In the meantime, Emefiele’s lawyers have written a letter to the Minister of Housing, requesting the government to stop any plans to sell the estate until the appeal is fully decided. The letter highlighted concerns that the government may soon auction the properties to members of the public. They also said they have served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an injunction to prevent any sale.
The federal government had recently announced plans to auction the Lokogoma estate to Nigerians in the low- and middle-income brackets as part of efforts to provide affordable housing. The government intends to offer these houses at subsidized rates to eligible buyers.
This case has attracted significant attention because of Emefiele’s high profile as the former CBN governor and the size of the estate involved. Many are watching closely to see how the Court of Appeal will rule on the dispute.
The EFCC has remained firm that it followed due process in seizing the property, which it alleges was linked to corrupt practices. Meanwhile, Emefiele continues to maintain that he has rightful ownership and that he was unfairly excluded from the legal proceedings.
The appeal court’s decision will be crucial in determining the final ownership of the estate and whether the government can proceed with the planned auction.
