A Federal High Court, on October 24, 2022, ruled the final forfeiture of two Abuja properties and two luxury cars owned by a former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon ordered that the two properties were 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
The judge gave the order forfeiting the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria following the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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Suit No. 1122/2021 and Suit No 1123/2021 asked 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.
The suit prayed the court to order the interim forfeiture of the assets on the grounds of reasonable suspicion that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.
While 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 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 on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Meanwhile, since there was no contestation of the Interim Order, the Court, on Monday, forfeited the properties to the Federal Government.
