A former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to grant the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an interim order forfeiting 2,149 pieces of jewelries including customised gold iPhones, valued at N14bn ($40m) belonging to her.
The court had, on July 5, 5019 granted the EFCC interim forfeiture of the items said to have been recovered in homes traced to Alison-Madueke.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo who made the order after granting an ex parte motion application brought before him by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, also ordered the anti-corruption agency to publish the forfeiture order in five national newspapers.
In the application, the EFCC said the expensive items were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of the former minister.
But in her application before the court, Alison-Madueke said the EFCC violated her fundamental “right to own property and to appropriate them at her discretion” under sections 43 and 44 of the Nigerian Constitution.
In the application filed by Prof. Awa Kalu, the former minister faulted the court’s jurisdiction saying she had not been charged with any crime or served summons by the EFCC.
She also said the temporary forfeiture order was prejudicial because she was denied fair hearing.
The application, which had been scheduled to be argued on August 19 (today) was however, stalled due to Kalu’s absence.
A lawyer from his chamber, Chukwuka Obidike, told the court that Kalu was engaged in election petitions, and requested for an adjournment.
Justice Oweibo adjourned the case till August 29.
With Premium Times report
