A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the interim forfeiture of a $37.5m property on Banana Island, Lagos bought by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in 2013.
The court also ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sums of $2,740,197.96 and N84, 537,840.70, said to be part of the rent collected on the property.
Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order following an ex parte application by counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Anslem Ozioko.
The EFCC counsel had told the judge that the EFCC reasonably suspected that the property was acquired with proceeds of Alison-Madueke’s alleged unlawful activities.
He said investigation revealed that Diezani made the $37.5m payment for the purchase of the property in cash, adding that the money was moved straight from her house in Abuja and paid into the seller’s bank account in Abuja.
“Nothing could be more suspicious than someone keeping such huge amounts in her apartment. Why was she doing that? To avoid attention.
“We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt because as of the time this happened, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke was still in public service as the Minister of Petroleum Resources,” Ozioko said.
After listening to the EFCC lawyer, Justice Obiozor made an order temporarily seizing the property and the funds.
He directed that the order should be published in a national newspaper.
He adjourned till August 7, 2017 for anyone interested in the property and funds to appear before him.
The US Department of Justice had on Friday last week filed an application seeking the re-possession of assets valued at $144 million linked to Alison-Madueke.
The former minister allegedly received the assets as bribes from two businessmen – Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore – for the award of oil contracts.
