The Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled November 1, 2024, to make its final ruling on the forfeiture of assets belonging to Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The assets in question include $2.045 million, seven properties, and shares, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is seeking to permanently seize.

The case began in August 2024 when the court allowed the EFCC to temporarily take control of the assets. As part of the process, the court ordered the EFCC to publish a notice, inviting anyone with an interest in the assets to present their case and explain why they should not be permanently forfeited to the government.

At a recent court hearing, EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, pushed for the final forfeiture, stating that no one had contested the claim on the assets. However, Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, argued that his client had presented sufficient evidence to stop the forfeiture and urged the court to reject the EFCC’s request.

Earlier, Emefiele had asked the court to delay the proceedings until an appeal he filed against the temporary forfeiture is heard by the Court of Appeal. However, Justice Deinde Dipeolu declined to pause the case, stating that an appeal could only move forward after the court’s final ruling on the matter.

During previous sessions, Emefiele’s legal team had also tried to delay the trial, arguing that the court should wait until the Appeal Court decides on their request. But the EFCC lawyer opposed this, stating that Emefiele had not followed the proper legal procedures to justify the appeal.

The court is expected to rule on both the final forfeiture of the assets and whether to pause the proceedings on November 1, 2024.