Court Orders Permanent Forfeiture Of Diezani’s $37.5m Mansion To FG

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the permanent forfeiture of a $37.5m mansion in Banana Island owned by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order to FG after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, argued a motion on notice before the court.

The court also ordered that the sums of $2,740,197.96 and N84,537,840.70 realized as rents on the property should equally be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The property, located at Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, Federal Government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate, has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six penthouses.

Mr. Obiozor had in July ordered the temporary forfeiture of the property after listening to an exparte application brought by the EFCC.

The judge also directed the anti-graft agency to publish the order in the newspapers, telling all interested parties to come forward and lay claim on the property within 14 days, before adjourning proceedings till August 7.

In the resumed hearing on Monday, the EFCC confirmed that it published the order in the papers as directed, but nobody came forward.

Dieziani is currently being investigated over allegations of fraud during her tenure as Minister of petroleum resources. Two of her associates, Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko, are also facing corruption charges in the United States.