By Ngwuoke Ngwuoke with Agency reports
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Friday, ordered the final forfeiture of a vacant plot of land situated at Plot 13, Block 1, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos, linked to Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Petroleum Minister.
Justice Akintoye Aluko made the order following an application filed by Mr. Ansalem B. Ozioko, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Head of Legal Section, 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.
While ordering the final forfeiture of the land on Friday, Justice Aluko held it was an enrollment order.
“Upon this motion on notice dated February 17, 2022 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 Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.
“Upon reading affidavit in support of the motion Commissionn 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, 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, and a Nigeria lawyer, Donald Chidi Amamgbo and MEZ Group LLC, as respondents in the suit.
Justice Babs Kuewuni, who had earlier presided over the case had sometimes in 2018, granted interim forfeiture of the land after reading the affidavit in support of the motion paper sworn to by Abdulrasheed Bawa, now the Chairman of the Commission and was argued and moved by Mr. Anselem B. C. Ozioko.
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 the 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 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 the Court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties mentioned in the relief therein should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
