General
Emefiele Forfeits $1.4m to FG After Court Order
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture to the federal government of another $1.4 million, linked to embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Ayokunle Faji gave the order after hearing an application filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday.
This order is coming a few days after another judge of the same court, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, ordered the final forfeiture of over N12.18bn in money and properties linked to the same Emefiele.
Recall that a witness earlier this week had said Mr Emefiele awarded contracts to his wife and brother-in-law.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to the EFCC, Mrs Bilkisu Buhari-Bala, urged Justice Faji to grant the final forfeiture order of the money, domiciled in an account number in Titan Trust Limited, to the Nigerian government.
The EFCC counsel told the court that the application is pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-related Offences Act No. 14 2006, and section 44 (2)(B) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mrs Buhari-Bala also told the court that the application for the final forfeiture of the said sum has been established to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The applicant was supported by an affidavit deposed to by one David Jayeoba, an Investigating Officer with the EFCC, alongside a written address.
In the affidavit, the deponent stated that his Commission received credible and direct intelligence which led to the tracing of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, warehoused in the Donatone Limited (DL) Titan Trust Bank account, which funds are reasonably suspected to be part of proceeds of unlawful activities.
He said that the commission, whilst investigating the monumental fraud carried out by the erstwhile CBN governor and his cronies, discovered a huge amount of money warehoused and concealed in the account of (DL) domiciled in Titan Trust Bank.
According to him, some of the brains behind the fraudulent concealment of funds reasonably suspected to have been proceeds of unlawful activities of Emefiele are the natural persons behind DL: Mr Uzeobo Anthony and Mr Adebanjo Olurotimi, who are directors of DL.
The deponent also stated “that part of the said funds, which represent the proceeds of Godwin Emefiele and his cronies’ unlawful activities, are retained in the accounts now sought to be forfeited.
“That Uzeobo Anthony and Adebanjo Olurotimi were procured by Godwin Emefiele to conceal, retain, and disguise funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
“Between 2021 and 2022, when accessibility to Forex in Nigeria was difficult, several international entities operating in Nigeria had to resort to different means to source forex.
“That both Uzeobo Anthony and Adebanjo Olurotimi used to collect bribes and gratification on behalf of (GE) to get approval for accessing Forex. And that one of the entities paid a total sum of twenty-six million five hundred and fifty-give thousand million Dollars ($26,552,000.00) into the account of (DL) domiciled in Titan Trust account number 2000000500.
“The said credits came into the account on the 9th of November 2021: $6,450,000; 15th of November 2021: $6,050,000.00; 16th of December 2021: $5,400,000.00; 23rd of December 2021: $652,000, 31th January 2022: $3,000,000.00 and on the 21st September 2022: $5,000,000.00. Find attached and marked EFCC 1 the Titan Trust bank account of Donatus Limited evidencing the inflows.
“The investigation traced the funds to having been fixed into interest-yielding accounts, dissipated and laundered through a foreign account in Mauritius, and transported back to Nigeria under disguise.
“That of the total sum of $26, 555, 000.00 US dollars received by Donatus Limited, the balance standing in the said account as of today is the sum of one million four hundred and twenty-six Thousand one hundred and seventy-five (US $1,426, 175. 14).
“That it is the balance in the account that the applicant (EFCC) seeks to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria which has been traced to be the proceeds of unlawful activities of (GE) and his cronies.
“That investigation further revealed that the international entities sourcing for forex were pressured into parting with huge funds to access forex during the period. And that the signatories to the account warehousing the sum of ($1,426, 175.14) sought to be forfeited are at large and are making frantic efforts to dissipate the funds electronically.
“Based on our investigation findings, the funds sought to be forfeited are proceeds of unlawful activities of Godwin Emefiele and his cronies. And that the applicant secured an interim forfeiture order of the Honourable Court on the 29th day of May 2024 to forfeit the sum of $1, 426, 175.14 warehoused in Titan Trust Bank to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the interim. Attached and marked EFCC 3 is the Honorable Court’s order dated 29th May 2024.
“The Honorable Court ordered that the order be published in a national daily. The said order was carried out and the applicant published the order in the Punch Newspaper on the 6th of June 2024. Attached and marked EFCC 4 is the said order.”
In ordering the final forfeiture of the money after listening to the submission of the EFCC lawyer, the court held that: “having been satisfied with the application and submission of Counsel, I hereby granted the prayer finally forfeiting the said funds in question.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Finance has directed all shipping companies and airlines operating in Nigeria to submit their manifests through the Single Window Project (SWP) as part of efforts to strengthen cargo tracking and transparency.
The submission of shipping manifests before the change of policy was handled exclusively by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for onward cargo processing and port clearance.
However, following a memo from late last year signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, all shipping firms and airlines were directed to integrate with the National Single Window platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission.
“I would like to bring to your attention that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the National Single Window (NSW) Project on the 16th of April 2024.
The NSW Project aims to streamline and automate import and export processes at Nigeria’s entry & exit ports, with the dual goals of enhancing trade facilitation and increasing government revenue.
“By integrating the operations of multiple government agencies involved in trade processes on one platform, the NSW platform will ensure faster clearance of goods and services, improve operational efficiencies at the imports and significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Key components of the Single Window as defined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation (WCO) include: (a) a single-entry point i.e. traders, shipping lines, airlines and other stakeholders should submit all required import and export documentation through a single-entry point on a centralized digital platform, and (b) single submission i.e. all documentation should only be submitted once and data only entered once.
“As a result, the NSW Platform will be the single-entry point of submission for all Sea and Air Manifests. Therefore, all shipping lines and airlines are therefore directed to integrate with the NSW Platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission,” parts of the memo read.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were copied in the memo.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The petition written against the immediate past chief executive of the Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed, which was withdrawn from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has now been taken to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The letter was written by the chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Mr Aliko Dangote. It contained allegations of allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against Mr Ahmed.
The petition led to the resignation of the former NMDPRA chief from office last month.
It was gathered that Mr Dangote, through his legal representative, filed a formal corruption petition against him at the headquarters of the EFCC, with specific plea of prosecuting Mr Ahmed if found culpable.
The businessman said the withdrawal of the petition from the ICPC was a strategic move aimed at accelerating the prosecution process.
In the petition signed by his lead counsel Mr O.J. Onoja (SAN), Mr Dangote noted that, “We make bold to state that the commission is strategically positioned along with sister agencies to prosecute financial crimes and corruption related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders. See Lawan v. F.R.N (2024) 12 NWLR (Pt. 1953) 501 and Shema v. F.R.N. (2018) 9 NWLR (Pt.1624)337.”
He further urged the anti-money laundering agency, under the leadership of Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, “…to investigate the complaint of Abuse of Office and Corruption against Engr. Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly prosecute him if found wanting.”
“The commission’s firm resolve in handling this matter with dispatch is not only imperative and expedient but will also serve as a deterrent to other public officers out there with such corrupt proneness and tendencies,” he added.
Recall that on December 14, 2025, Mr Dangote raised concerns about Mr. Ahmed’s financial dealings, alleging that the former regulator is living far beyond his legitimate means.
According to him, four of Mr Ahmed’s children attended elite secondary schools in Switzerland, incurring costs running into several millions of dollars—an expenditure that raises questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum industry.
Mr Dangote listed the schools attended by Mr. Ahmed’s children: Faisal Farouk (Montreux School), Farouk Jr. (Aiglon College), Ashraf Farouk (Institut Le Rosey), and Farhana Farouk (La Garenne International School), noting that each child spent six years in these institutions. He estimated annual tuition, travel, and upkeep per child at $200,000, totaling approximately $5 million for their secondary education.
Additionally, he alleged that Mr Ahmed spent another $2 million on tertiary education for the four children, including $210,000 for Faisal’s 2025 Harvard MBA program.
“Nigerians deserve to know the source of these funds, especially when many parents in Mr Ahmed’s home state of Sokoto struggle to pay as little as N10,000 in school fees,” Mr Dangote stated.
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