Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources has lost 56 choice properties valued at about $21.98m courtesy of a permanent forfeiture order by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka made the order on Wednesday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed the properties were acquired with proceeds of crime.
The forfeited buildings are located in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt and were acquired by Diezani between 2011 and 2013.
The properties ordered to be forfeited included a 21 mixed-housing units of 8 numbers of four bedrooms penthouse apartment; six numbers of three bedrooms apartments; two numbers of three bedrooms apartment and one numbers of four bedrooms apartment, all ensuite, located at 7, Thurnburn Street, and 5, Raymond Street, Yaba, valued at N937 million.
Also forfeited is are 16 four-bedroom terraced houses, located at Heritage Court Estate, Omerelu Street, Diobu GRA, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, valued at N928 million.
And another 13 three-bedroom flats with one room maid’s quarter, situated at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Plot 1205, Cadastral Zone B06, Mabushi, Abuja, valued at N650 million; and six flats of three-bedroom and one boys quarter, located at Plot 808 (135) Awolowo way, Ikoyi, Lagos, valued at N805 million.
Justice Anka had earlier made an order of temporary forfeiture of the said properties on August 2, while granting an Ex-parte application marked FHC/L/1279/17, filled before the court by EFCC.
The judge also ordered EFCC to publish the temporary forfeiture order in a national newspaper so that anyone with interest in the properties could approach the court within 14 days after the order was made.
Justice Anka had earlier dismissed an application filed by the third, fourth and sixth respondents through their lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey, seeking the discharge of the temporary forfeiture order of the court on the ground that EFCC did not serve the order on his clients personally.
In the suit, EFCC had listed the former petroleum minister; Mr. Donald Chidi Amamgbo; Chapel Properties Limited; Blue Nile Estate Limited; Azinga Meadows Limited; and Vistapoints Property Development Limited as respondents.
