Crime

Sowore Claims Emefiele Owns 753 Duplexes Forfeited to EFCC in Abuja

Published by Tope Fakinlede on December 3rd, 2024.

Sowore Claims Emefiele Owns 753 Duplexes Forfeited to EFCC in Abuja

Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow Movement leader, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the owner of the 753 duplexes in Abuja that were recently forfeited to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The forfeiture, which took place following a court ruling on Monday, involves a vast estate located in the Lokogoma District of the Federal Capital Territory.

Sowore made the claim in a post on social media, after the EFCC initially kept the identity of the individual behind the estate under wraps. According to Sowore, the EFCC is “afraid of big thieves” and is now acting as their public relations office. The estate in question, which spans 150,500 square meters, is composed of numerous duplexes and other apartments. It was seized by the EFCC as part of its ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

Earlier, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) court, under Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, ordered the final forfeiture of the property to the federal government, determining that the assets were likely acquired through illegal means. The EFCC had described this forfeiture as the largest single asset recovery since its inception in 2003.

The EFCC had not named the individual who owned the estate, but Sowore, citing “grapevine” sources, pointed to Godwin Emefiele as the former government official behind the 753 duplexes. He criticized the EFCC for selectively publicizing the names of smaller criminals, such as “Yahoo boys,” while withholding information about powerful figures involved in larger-scale corruption.

Sowore also lambasted the Nigerian government for allowing such theft of public resources, noting that while they claim not to be involved in providing housing for citizens, a former government official had stolen vast amounts of public funds to build a private estate for himself.

The EFCC’s decision to forfeit the property was based on its mandate to ensure that individuals who have obtained wealth through fraudulent activities do not benefit from their ill-gotten gains. The forfeiture follows the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, as well as Section 44(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution.

As Emefiele faces corruption charges in the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Sowore’s accusations bring further attention to the ongoing efforts to tackle high-level corruption in Nigeria. The court has adjourned Emefiele’s trial to December 4, 2024, and January 21, 2025.