The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has nullified the final forfeiture order of assets linked to the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and directed a fresh trial.
In a two-to-one split decision delivered on April 9 but made public on Monday, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court’s judgment in Lagos was flawed due to conflicting evidence and procedural irregularities during the original trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously secured a final forfeiture order against several assets allegedly linked to Mr. Emefiele, a move that sparked public debate amid his ongoing corruption investigations.
However, the Appeal Court noted that critical aspects of the EFCC’s case were either unsubstantiated or improperly handled, thus warranting a new trial to ensure fairness and due process.
The court’s majority decision, now binding, directs the Federal High Court to restart proceedings, giving both the prosecution and defence a clean slate to present their cases.
Legal analysts say the ruling is a significant twist in one of Nigeria’s most high-profile financial crime cases and could impact ongoing proceedings involving other top officials from Emefiele’s tenure.
The EFCC is yet to issue an official response as of press time.
