High Court Rules That Alison-Madueke’s Properties Be Forfeited To FG

A Federal High Court in Abuja has on Monday ordered the final forfeiture of properties belonging to the former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

In his judgement, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered that two Abuja properties and two luxury cars belonging to Alison-Madueke should be returned to the Federal Government.

Naija News gathered that the two properties, which are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street, and No. 6, Aso Drive, in the highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts of Abuja are valued at $2,674,418USD and N380,000,000 respectively.

The luxury cars are a black BMW saloon with Chassis No B8CV54V66629 and registered number, RBC155 DH and a black Jaguar saloon car with Chassis No SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36,000,000.

Justice Olajuwon ordered that forfeiting the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria was in line with the ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in Suit No. 1122/2021 and Suit No 1123/2021, asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.

Recall that the EFCC had on November 29, 2021, secured the interim forfeiture of the assets in a ruling on a separate motion ex-parte filed on September 27, 2021, which prayed the court to order the interim forfeiture of the assets on the grounds of reasonable suspicion that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.

In granting the interim forfeiture Order, Justice Olajuwon had ordered the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper, inviting anyone with interest in the assets to show reasons why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court consequently adjourned till January 22, 2022, for the report.

The EFCC in compliance with the Order of the Court, published the Forfeiture Order in Thisday Newspaper on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.

However, in the absence of any contestation of the Interim Order, the Court, on Monday, October 24, 2022, finally forfeited the properties to the Federal Government.