The immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, has again distanced himself and his immediate family from ownership of properties said to have been forfeited to the federal government on the order of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

While admitting that part of the assets belonged to his relatives, Emefiele stated emphatically that neither he nor his immediate family owned the properties in question.

His clarification on the properties ordered to be forfeited to the federal government on Friday, February 21, was contained in a press statement issued in Abuja by Barrister Olawale Fapohunda on behalf of his legal team.

Among other points, the former governor of the CBN stated that a company, DeepBlue Energy Limited, established in 2009, is owned by his relative and not himself, as being peddled in the media.

According to him, Justice Aneke of the same Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, had previously discharged an interim forfeiture order on the same assets now ordered to be forfeited by Honourable Justice Yellim Bogoro.

Emefiele warned those associating him and his family with the assets to stop doing so in the interest of fairness.

Part of the statement read:

“Our attention has been drawn to recent news reports indicating that Justice Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, has granted a final forfeiture order on certain properties allegedly linked to one Anita Joy Omoile and her companies, including DeepBlue Energy Limited.

“It is important to clarify that DeepBlue Energy Limited, established in 2009, is owned by a relative of our client, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, but not by Mr. Emefiele himself.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, we, as the legal representatives of Godwin Emefiele, categorically disassociate our client from the ownership of the assets in question.

“For emphasis, the assets in question do not belong to our client or any member of his immediate family.

“Furthermore, information reaching us suggests that Justice Aneke of the same Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, had previously discharged an interim forfeiture order on the same assets now forfeited by Honourable Justice Bogoro.

“We urge all stakeholders and members of the public to take note of this clarification and stop associating these assets with Mr. Godwin Emefiele.”

The Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the permanent forfeiture of $4.7 million, ₦830 million, and multiple properties allegedly linked to Emefiele.

Justice Yellim Bogoro, in a judgment delivered on Friday, February 21, 2025, also ordered the final forfeiture of investments worth $900,000 traced to one of Emefiele’s relatives, Anita Joy Omoile.

The court also ordered the final forfeiture of another $4.4 million worth of investment traced to DeepBlue Energy Services Ltd, as well as another sum of ₦283 million in Zenith Bank traced to Liman Investment Ltd, €20,000, and £1,999.50, traced to Exactquote Bureau De Change (BDC), all companies linked to Omoile.

At the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Justice Bogoro granted the final forfeiture of all the funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria after holding that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.

However, Emefiele, in the press statement, insisted that the assets in question belonged to other people, including his relatives, and not himself, as being insinuated in the media.