The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two Abuja properties and two luxury cars belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon who gave the ruling on Monday ordered that the properties be forfeited to the Nigerian Government
The two properties are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street, and No. 6, Aso Drive, in the highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts of Abuja the nation’s Capital, 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 Nigerian Government while ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.
The Commission had on November 29, 202 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 cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court consequently adjourned till January 22, 2022, for the report.
In compliance with the Order of the Court, the Forfeiture Order was published in Thisday Newspaper on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
In the absence of any contestation of the Interim Order, the Court forfeited the properties to the Nigerian Government.
PIAK
