Court orders final forfeiture of 52 Lagos houses to FG

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of 52 terrace and maisonette houses in Lekki, Lagos, to the Federal Government after ruling that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Justice Alexandra Owoeye delivered the judgment on July 15, 2026, in a case brought by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The properties, located at Mercyville Estate, Covenant Way, off New Road, Ilasan, Lagos, were recovered from Fielddreams Limited, Ifeanyi Nweke and Amex Savings and Loans Limited.

The EFCC, through its counsel, Franklin Ofoma, urged the court to grant the final forfeiture after complying with an earlier order directing the publication of an interim forfeiture notice inviting interested parties to contest the action.

The commission had secured the interim forfeiture order on August 14, 2024, before Justice Akintayo Aluko, who also directed that the order be published in a national newspaper to allow anyone with an interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited.

Responding to the notice, the defendants filed an affidavit claiming that the development of the 52 housing units was funded with proceeds from the sale of 29 terrace and maisonette houses valued at N1.9 billion.

However, the EFCC argued that the respondents later contradicted themselves by alleging that several of the housing units had not been completed, despite their earlier claim that construction had been completed in 2020 and that the sale proceeds were used for furnishing and interior decoration.

Ofoma also told the court that the second respondent, Ifeanyi Nweke, was a fugitive facing criminal charges and had failed to appear before two Lagos courts for arraignment.

According to him, two subsisting warrants of arrest had been issued against Nweke, who also allegedly jumped the administrative bail earlier granted by the EFCC.

In her ruling, Justice Owoeye held that the respondents’ affidavit contained irreconcilable contradictions, making it unreliable.

The judge said the court could not “pick and choose” which version of the respondents’ evidence to believe and consequently rejected the entire affidavit filed in opposition to the forfeiture application.

She ruled that with no credible opposition before the court, the EFCC had successfully established reasonable grounds to suspect that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Justice Owoeye consequently granted the commission’s application and ordered the final forfeiture of the 52 houses to the Federal Government.