Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Friday, ordered final forfeiture of a vacant plot of land situated at Plot 13, Block I, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos, linked to Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigeria Petroleum Minister to the Federal Government
Justice Aluko’s order of forfeiture of the land, was sequel to the application for such order which was filed by Mr. Ansalem B. Ozioko, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Head of Legal Section, but moved and argued by Mr. Abbas Mohammed, a legal Officer in the commission.
Justice Babs Kuewuni had on May 15, 2018, granted interim forfeiture of the said land.
In granting the final forfeiture of the said land, Justice Aluko held that: “this is an enrollment of order.
“Upon this motion on notice dated February 17, 2022 coming’ before this Honourable 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 Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.
“Upon reading affidavit in support of the motion paper sworn to by Babana Job, of Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) of 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
“And the court having heard A.O.
Mohammed Esq, 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 follow, ‘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 listed the former petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke, a Nigeria lawyer, Donald Chidi Amamgbo and MEZ Group LLC, as respondents in the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/811/2018.
Justice Babs Kuewuni, who formerly presided over that court had sometimes in 2018, granted interim forfeiture of the said the land upon reading the affidavit in support of the motion paper sworn to by AbdulRasheed Bawa, now the chairman of the Commission, which was argued and moved by Mr. Anselem B. C. Ozioko.
As part of Justice kuewumi’s orders directed the EFCC to notify the persons in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited are found to appear before this Honourable Court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The order also directed the EFCC to publish in any Newspaper of the Interim Order, for persons in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited are found or anyone who is interested in the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before this Honourable Court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties mentioned in the relief 1 herein should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In asking the court for final forfeiture of the said land, the EFCC through one of its investigators, Babana Job, in an affidavit in support of the motion stated that sometime in 2016, a Search Warrant was executed at the Office and premises of Mr. Donald Chidi Amamgbo (second Defendant in the suit) and a known acquaintance of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke (first Defendant).
