Nigeria Supreme Court upholds forfeiture of Emefiele assets

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has conclusively upheld the final forfeiture of seven high-value properties, $2.045 million, and share certificates linked to former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele to the Federal Government. In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, July 17, 2026, a five-member panel led by Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Saulawa restored a 2024 lower court order, ending a protracted legal battle over the assets.

The ruling affirms the judgment of Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who originally ordered the final forfeiture on November 1, 2024. That court had found the assets were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. Emefiele successfully challenged that decision at the Court of Appeal, which reversed the forfeiture and ordered a retrial. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) then appealed to the Supreme Court, which has now vacated the appellate court's judgment.

The Supreme Court panel stated it was satisfied the anti-graft agency had made a sufficient case for forfeiture and held that Emefiele failed to prove the assets were acquired through legitimate means. The decision brings to...