A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $2.045 million linked to Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a ruling delivered on Friday, Deinde Dipeolu, presiding judge, ordered the permanent forfeiture of the monies, seven choice landed properties and the two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust.

The judge held that Emefiele was not able to connect his lawful earnings as a staff of Zenith Bank and the CBN to the acquisition of the properties.

The court held that the former CBN Governor failed to provide documents or links to show that he owned the properties.

On August 15, Akintayo Aluko, a vacation judge, issued an interim order of forfeiture against Emefiele following an application filed by Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel.

Oyedepo said the forfeited assets were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

The court directed the EFCC to publish the order for any person interested in the funds to explain why it should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.

At the hearing on October 11, the EFCC counsel applied for the final forfeiture of the sum as well as share certificates, which he said were not contested by the interested party.

Emefiele had denied any connection between him and the companies in whose names the properties were purchased. Representatives of the companies had also failed to appear before the court to claim the properties.

In his ruling, the judge held that “the conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies does not want to come to light.”

“I therefore order the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of all those properties…which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities,” the judge said.

The companies listed include Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited.

The forfeited properties include two fully detached duplexes of identical structures situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos and a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi.

Others are an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; eight units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

There was chaos at a federal high court in Abuja on Friday after some children who allegedly took part in the #EndBadGovernance protests collapsed while waiting to be arraigned.

The court had fixed Friday for the arraignment of the defendants who are mostly minors.

At the commencement of proceedings, the children who looked ill and malnourished, were asked to come forward to take their plea.

While some huddled in the dock, others stood outside the cubicle due to insufficient space.

However, four of them hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom after they collapsed and writhed in pain.

Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, had to rise abruptly before calm returned to the courtroom.

When the court session resumed, the prosecution asked that the names of the four ill children be removed from the charge.

The application was granted and the other defendants were arraigned.

The 76 defendants, who were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states, are being accused of treason, among other offences.

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A bill seeking to raise the retirement age of health workers has scaled the second reading at the house of representatives.

Adewale Hammed, the lawmaker representing the Agege federal constituency of Lagos state, sponsored the bill to raise the retirement age of health workers from 60 to 65 and from 35 to 40 years in service.

Leading the debate on the bill during the plenary on Thursday, the lawmaker argued that the law will enable experienced healthcare workers will continue to contribute their expertise to the sector until they reach the age of 65.

“Nigeria’s healthcare sector is currently experiencing a significant depletion in both the number and quality of professionals due to two main factors,” Hammed said.

“Firstly, a substantial number of health workers are migrating abroad in search of the proverbial golden fleece — a trend difficult to stop given the fundamental human rights of the individuals concerned.

“Secondly, the compulsory retirement age of 60 and the mandatory 35 years of service, as stipulated in the public service rules, are contributing to the exodus of experienced professionals.

“While we cannot control the former, the latter can be addressed through the upward review of the retirement age, which will be achieved by this bill.”

The lawmaker said the retirement age of judges, lecturers, and teachers has been raised, noting that health workers should not be left out.

Mark Esset, a lawmaker from Akwa, opposed the bill, contending that opportunities should be given to many well-trained Nigerians who are searching for jobs rather than extending the service years of those who are due for retirement.

Nwaeke Felix from Rivers also spoke against the bill, backing Esset’s argument.

However, Ahmed Jaha from Borno spoke in favour of the bill, noting that it will not stop the recruitment of new graduates.

Lawmakers voted in support of the bill when Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the house, subjected it to a voice vote.