The Supreme Court has affirmed the final forfeiture of $2.045 million and seven high-value properties linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to the Federal Government.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, allowed the appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, which had ordered a retrial of the forfeiture proceedings.

The ruling restored the November 1, 2024 judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, where Justice Deinde Dipeolu ordered the permanent forfeiture of the assets after holding that they were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

The forfeited assets include $2.045 million in cash, two detached duplexes in Lekki Phase 1, several properties in Ikoyi, Lagos, an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State, eight apartment units in Ikoyi, and other high-value real estate.

The apex court's decision effectively ends Emefiele's legal challenge against the forfeiture order, restoring the Federal High Court's ruling in favour of the EFCC.