EFCC tells court Emefiele acquired 750-house Abuja estate through proxies
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An EFCC investigator has told the Ikeja Special Offences Court that former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele used lawyers, aides and associates to acquire a property portfolio that includes an estate of about 750 houses in Lokogoma, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has told the Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos that former Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele used lawyers, aides and associates as proxies to acquire an extensive property portfolio, including an estate of about 750 houses in the Lokogoma area of Abuja.
Testifying on Thursday, EFCC investigator Alvan Gurumnaan, the prosecution's second witness, listed the assets linked to Emefiele as two mansions on Queens Drive in Ikoyi, twin duplexes in Lekki Phase 1, an 11-storey building of about 94 luxury flats, the Lokogoma estate, and a block of eight flats on Adekunle Lawal Street in Ikoyi.
He said the portfolio also includes a factory under construction in Emefiele's hometown of Agbor in Delta State and a warehouse in Ogun State. According to the investigator, the commission obtained court orders for the forfeiture of several assets estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of naira, and he alleged that Emefiele sold to himself a property belonging to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company while he chaired its board.
Gurumnaan told the court that investigators recovered more than $2 million in cash from the office of a lawyer, Ifeanyin Omeke, who he said served as secretary to several companies and admitted acting as a front for the former governor. He also alleged that a company paid about $17 million through Monday Osazuwa, a member of Emefiele's staff, which was passed to co-defendant Henry Omoile and then to Emefiele.
Defence counsel Ojo Olalekan (SAN) and Kazeem Gbadamosi objected to the evidence on the properties, arguing it was irrelevant to the charges before the court, but Justice Rahman Oshodi overruled the objection and held that the defendants would have the chance to challenge the testimony during cross-examination. Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge and Omoile a separate three-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts, with transactions put at $4.5 billion. The trial was adjourned to Friday for continuation.