On Monday, October 24, 2022, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that a former minister of petroleum resources named Mrs. Diezani Alison-two Madueke's Abuja homes and two high-end vehicles be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
According to a post on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's Facebook page, the two properties, which are situated in the affluent Asokoro and Maitama Districts of Abuja at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahashir Street and No. 6 Aso Drive, respectively, are valued at $2,674,418 USD and N380,000,000.
A black BMW saloon with the chassis number B8CV54V66629 and the registered number RBC155 DH and a black Jaguar saloon with the chassis number SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, both worth N36,000,000, are the two luxury vehicles.
The judge gave the order forfeiting the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria 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.
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 the Newspaper on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
In the absence of any contestation of the Interim Order, the Court, today, forfeited the properties to the Federal Government.