A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke’s request to amend her suit challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the final forfeiture of her seized assets.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application after her lawyer, Godwin Inyinbor, moved the motion, which EFCC’s counsel, Divine Oguru, did not oppose. The court ordered Alison-Madueke to file and serve the amended documents within five days, while the EFCC was given 14 days to respond. The case is set for further mention on March 17.
The former minister is contesting the EFCC’s public notice regarding the sale of her confiscated properties. She argues that the forfeiture orders were issued without jurisdiction and violated her right to a fair hearing, as she was neither served with charge sheets nor allowed to defend herself. She further alleged that the EFCC misled the court by suppressing material facts.
In a counter-affidavit, EFCC operative Rufus Zaki urged the court to dismiss Alison-Madueke’s application, stating that investigations confirmed her involvement in corruption and money laundering. The EFCC argued that the forfeiture process followed due legal procedure, with public notices allowing interested parties to challenge the orders before final decisions were made.
Zaki also revealed that the seized properties have already been auctioned as per court rulings and that Alison-Madueke was represented by a lawyer during the forfeiture application.