THE Supreme Court has restored the final forfeiture of seven high-value properties linked to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, overturning an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal that had ordered a retrial of the case.
News Point Nigeria reports that a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, unanimously allowed the appeal and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, which had nullified the forfeiture order earlier issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The decision of the Supreme Court effectively restores the final forfeiture of the assets and brings to an end the legal challenge mounted by Emefiele against the order of the lower court.
The Court of Appeal had previously overturned the ruling of the Federal High Court and directed that the matter be retried. However, the apex court, in its unanimous judgment, reversed that decision and reinstated the forfeiture order.
With the latest judgment, the seven properties linked to the former CBN governor remain permanently forfeited, marking the end of the legal dispute over the assets.
