VOICE AIR MEDIA

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of some properties belonging to Diezani Alison-Madueke, former petroleum minister, to the federal government.

The properties include two houses located at Plot 1854, Mohammed Mahashir Street, Asokoro; and No. 6, Aso Drive, Maitama, Abuja.

The houses are said to be valued at $2,674,418USD and N380 million, respectively.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of two luxury cars — a black BMW saloon with chassis number B8CV54V66629 and registration number, RBC155 DH, and a black Jaguar saloon car with chassis number SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, said to be valued at N36,000,000.

Mobolaji Olajuwon, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday while ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.

The commission had, on November 29, 2021, secured 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, the judge had ordered the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper, inviting anyone with interest in the assets to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

In compliance with the order, the EFCC published the forfeiture order in THISDAY newspaper on April 6, 2022.

In the absence of any contest against the interim order, the court ordered a final forfeiture of the properties to the federal government.