Court commands final forfeiture of Diezani Madueke’s Lekki land to FG - Nexus News

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had on Friday ordered the final forfeiture of a vacant plot of land located at plot 13, Block 1, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos connected to Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigeria Petroleum Minister.

Justice Akintoye Aluko made the order of the final forfeiture of the land, subsequent to an application filed by Mr. Ansalem B. Ozioko, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Head of Legal Section, moved and debated by Mr. Abbas Mohammed, a legal Officer in the Commission.

Justice Babs Kuewuni had on May 15, 2018, ordered interim forfeiture of the said land.

While directing the final forfeiture of the land Friday, Justice Aluko maintained that: “this is an enrollment order.

“Upon this motion on notice dated February 17, 022 coming’ before this Court the 25th day of March 2022, praying the Court for the following reliefs; a final Order forfeiting the properties /assets listed and – described in the schedule herein to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“And for such further orders as this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.

“Upon reading the affidavit in support of the motion Commission to buy Babana Job, of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

“And the court has heard A.O. Mohammed, for the Plaintiff/ Applicant, moved the application praying the court to grant the reliefs sought as endorsed on the motion paper.

“It is hereby ordered as follows, “That a final order is hereby granted forfeiting the property/asset listed and described in the schedule herein to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

The EFCC had charged the former petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, and a Nigeria lawyer, Donald Chidi Amamgbo and MEZ Group LLC, as respondents in the lawsuit marked FHC/L/CS/811/2018.

Justice Babs Kuewuni, who had previously presided over the case had sometimes in 2018, ordered interim forfeiture of the land after reading the affidavit supporting the motion paper sworn to by Abdulrasheed Bawa, now the chairman of the Commission and was debated and moved by Mr. Anselem B. C. Ozioko.

Part of Justice kuewumi’s orders directed the EFCC to inform the persons in whose possession the properties to be foregone are found to appear before the Court within 14 days and give reasons why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The directive also ordered the EFCC to publish in any Newspaper of the Interim Order, for persons in whose possession the properties to be forfeited are found or anyone who has interest in the properties to be forfeited to appear before the Court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties disclosed in the relief therein should not be made in favor of the Federal Government of Nigeria.