Diezeani Alison-Madueke

Akin Kuponiyi

There is no respite yet for the former Petroleum Minister Dieszani Alison -Madueke as another Lagos Federal high court, presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, has ordered the forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewelry and a customised gold iPhone, valued at $40m, belonging to her.

The judge ordered that the items should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.
The forfeiture order was sequel to an application filed and argued today before the Court by EFCC legal officer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo. The application, titled action in rem, had Diezani as the only defendant and it was filed pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.

The EFCC said in the application that it found and recovered the jewelry and the customised gold iPhone “on the premises of the former minister ,” adding that it reasonably suspected that the former minister acquired them with “proceeds of unlawful activities.”

According to the schedule attached to the application, the items of jewelry, categorised into 33 sets, include: “419 expensive bangles; 315 expensive rings; 304 expensive earrings; 267 expensive necklaces; 189 expensive wristwatches; 174 expensive necklaces and earrings; 78 expensive bracelets; 77 expensive brooches; and 74 expensive pendants.”

The EFCC stated that “the respondent’s known and provable lawful income is far less than the properties sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Following the submission by the EFCC lawyer, Oyedepo, Justice Oweibo ordered that the 2,149 pieces of jewelry and the customised gold iPhone should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge then ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the forfeiture order in a national newspaper “for the respondent or anyone who is interested in the property sought to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why a final forfeiture order of the said properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

The judge thereafter adjourned till 23 August, 2019 for further proceedings.