The Supreme Court has affirmed the final forfeiture of seven landed properties, $2.045 million and share certificates linked to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to the Federal Government.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday by a five-member panel led by Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Saulawa, the apex court set aside the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and restored the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which ordered the final forfeiture of the assets.

The Supreme Court held that the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby upholding the forfeiture order initially granted by the Federal High Court on November 1, 2024.

The forfeited assets include seven high-value properties located in Lagos and Delta State, comprising residential buildings, undeveloped land and an industrial complex under construction. The court also affirmed the forfeiture of $2,045,000 and share certificates belonging to Queensdorf Global Fund Limited.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had approached the Supreme Court after the Court of Appeal overturned the Federal High Court’s forfeiture order. The anti-graft agency argued that investigations established reasonable grounds to believe the assets were proceeds of unlawful activities.

By restoring the Federal High Court’s judgment, the Supreme Court has conclusively upheld the transfer of the properties, funds and share certificates to the Federal Government.

The judgment represents a significant legal victory for the EFCC in its efforts to recover assets suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means and reinforces the judiciary’s role in supporting Nigeria’s anti-corruption and asset recovery framework.