By Agency report
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of some assets held in Abuja by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, in a ruling on Monday, ordered that the assets – two houses and two luxury cars – be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The two houses are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street, Asokoro and No. 6, Aso Drive in Maitama, which value the EFCC put at $2,674,418USD and N380,000,000.
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 ruling was on the applications by the EFCC, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1122/2021 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1123/2021, seeking the final forfeiture of the assets.
Justice Olajuwon issued the order for final forfeiture when no one came forward to contest the earlier order of interim forfeiture made by the court on November 29, 2021.
The court had, while granting the order for interim forfeiture, 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 EFCC said it published the interim forfeiture order on April 6, 2022 in a national daily as directed by the court and later applied for final forfeiture when no one came to court to contest the forfeiture order.