The
Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the permanent forfeiture of
two penthouses linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
The
properties, worth $4.8m, are located at Bella Vista, Banana Island and
Admiralty Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
In
a short ruling on Wednesday, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun said she had no other
option but to order the final forfeiture of the properties to the Federal
Government, as an application brought before her to that effect was not
opposed.
The
application was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which
had earlier on December 5, 2017 secured an interim forfeiture order in respect
of the penthouses.
Listed
as respondents in the application were Diezani, Donald Amagbo, Schillenburg LLC
and Sequoyah Properties Limited.
On
Wednesday, counsel for the EFCC, Mr. A.B.C. Ozioko, told the court that the
anti-graft agency had complied with the directive of the court to publish the
interim forfeiture order in the newspaper in order to put interested parties on
notice.
He
urged the court to order the final forfeiture of the penthouses.
Mr.
Emmanuel Bassey, who appeared as counsel for the second, third, and fourth
respondents, said his clients were not opposed to the application for the
forfeiture.
Consequently,
Justice Olatoregun, in her ruling, held, “I have observed the facts and
exhibits attached and I am also mindful that the second, third and fourth
respondents have no objections to the application.
“It
therefore, have no hesitation in ordering a final forfeiture of the properties
to the Federal Government.”
In an affidavit filed in support of the application,
an operative of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said investigations by the
anti-graft agency revealed that the properties namely “Penthouse 21,
Building 5, Block C, 11 floor, Bella Vista, Banana Island, Ikoyi and Penthouse
22, Block B, Admiralty Estate, Ikoyi” were proceeds of criminal activities
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