A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, October 25 ordered the final forfeiture of two Abuja houses and two luxury cars belonging to a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
The two properties, according to the statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street, and No. 6, Aso Drive, in the highbrow areas of Asokoro and Maitama districts in Abuja and 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 plate number RBC155 DH, and a black Jaguar saloon car with Chassis No. SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36,000,000.
On November 29, 2021, the EFCC secured the interim forfeiture of the assets in a ruling on a motion ex-parte filed on September 27, 2021, which prayed the court to order the 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 an interest in the assets to show the reason why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court consequently adjourned till January 22, 2022, for a report.
“In compliance with the order of the court, the forfeiture order was published in Thisday Newspaper of Wednesday, April 6, 2022. In the absence of any contestation of the interim order, the court today forfeited the properties to the Federal Government,” the Commission added in the statement issued on Monday.
As a result of the development, the former minister has lost the multi-million dollar houses and cars to the Federal Government.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M