At last, Court orders final forfeiture of over $2.7m former Petroleum Minister Diezani’s Abuja assets

Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja Monday ordered the final forfeiture of two Abuja property and two luxury cars belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.

The judge gave the order forfeiting the assets to the federal government while 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.

The Commission 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.

The two property are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street, and No. 6, Aso Drive, in the highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts of 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 number, RBC155 DH and a black Jaguar saloon car with Chassis No SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36,000,000

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 cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.

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 property to the federal government.