Court Orders Another Forfeiture Of Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Property To Federal Government

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered another property belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, be forfeited to the Federal Government.

KanyiDaily had reported last week Friday, the same Federal High Court ordered the forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customized gold iPhone, valued at $40m, belonging to Diezani.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it found and recovered the jewellery and the gold iPhone from Diezani’s premises, adding that its reasonably suspected that the former minister acquired them with “proceeds of unlawful activities.”

Following an application by the EFCC, the court has once again ordered that a plot of land in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, belonging to Alison-Madueke, be forfeited to the FG.

The anti-graft agency had told Justice Chuka Obiozor that the land, measuring 7,903.71 to 8,029.585 square metres and designated as Plot 9, Azikiwe Road, Old GRA (UAC Property on Forces Avenue), Port Harcourt, was reasonably suspected to part of proceeds of unlawful activities.

The commission prayed the court for an order to allow it “to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the asset/property.”

It urged the court to prohibit “any disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise of the asset/property.”

Counsel to the EFCC, Ebuka Okongwu, argued that the judge had the power, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, to make the forfeiture order.

After listening to him, Justice Obiozor granted the forfeiture order as prayed.