A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, permission to amend her suit challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the final forfeiture of her seized assets.
Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the application after Alison-Madueke’s lawyer, Godwin Inyinbor, moved the motion, which the EFCC’s counsel, Divine Oguru, did not oppose.
The court directed Alison-Madueke to file and serve the amended processes within five days, while the EFCC was given 14 days from the date of service to respond. The case was adjourned until March 17 for further mention.
Alison-Madueke’s Claims
The former minister is challenging the EFCC’s public notice announcing the sale of her confiscated properties. In a motion filed on January 6, 2023, she argued that the forfeiture orders were issued without jurisdiction and should be annulled.
She claimed that she was denied a fair hearing in the proceedings that led to the orders, stating that she was neither served with charge sheets nor given the opportunity to defend herself.
“The various court orders issued in favor of the respondent and upon which the respondent issued the public notice were made in breach of my right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution,” she stated.
She further alleged that the courts were misled into granting the forfeiture orders due to suppression and non-disclosure of material facts by the EFCC.
EFCC’s Response
In a counter-affidavit, EFCC operative Rufus Zaki urged the court to dismiss Alison-Madueke’s application.
Zaki, part of the team investigating corruption and money laundering allegations against her, stated that their findings confirmed her involvement in criminal activities.
The EFCC argued that the forfeiture proceedings followed due process, with public notices inviting interested parties to contest the forfeiture before final orders were made.
Zaki also stated that the seized properties have already been auctioned in line with court rulings and that Alison-Madueke was represented by a lawyer, Nnamdi Awa Kalu, during a forfeiture application.
Background on the Case
The EFCC, under its former chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa, announced plans to auction forfeited assets, including those linked to Alison-Madueke, starting from January 9, 2023.
Bawa previously revealed that the agency recovered $153 million and over 80 properties from her.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Petroleum Minister from 2010 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, has been living in the United Kingdom since leaving office.
