Court orders final forfeiture of 52 houses in Lagos to FG
Abdullateef Fowewe
Justice Alexandra Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of 52 terrace and maisonette units in the Lekki area to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
This was revealed in a statement made available on Saturday by the anti-graft agency.
The properties, situated at Mercyville Estate, Covenant Way, off New Road, Ilasan, Lagos, were recovered from Fielddreams Limited, Ifeanyi Nweke, and Amex Savings and Loans Limited. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, secured the order following a Motion on Notice argued by its counsel, Franklin Ofoma.
The Commission had earlier obtained an interim forfeiture on August 14, 2024, via an ex parte application before Justice Akintayo Aluko.
In his submission for final forfeiture, Ofoma informed the court that the properties were “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
He also noted that the second respondent, Ifeanyi Nweke, is a criminal fugitive with subsisting warrants of arrest.
“He has refused to appear before Justice R.A. Oshodi and Justice Okunuga in Charge No. ID/25771C/2025 and Charge No. ID/25769C/2025 for his arraignment, there were two subsisting warrants of arrest against the second respondent, adding that he had jumped the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Commission.”
The respondents had filed an affidavit to show cause against the final forfeiture.
However, Justice Owoeye rejected their evidence after noting contradictions in their claims regarding the source and use of funds for the properties.
“Premised on the foregoing position of the law, I hold that since this court cannot pick and choose which of the evidence given by Respondents to believe, it must consequently reject the entire affidavit evidence placed before it by the 1st-3rd Respondents,” the statement noted.
The EFCC’s application was supported by a 31-paragraph affidavit, and the Commission had complied with the court’s directive to publish the interim order in a national newspaper.
