A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, has adjourned the hearing of a motion filed by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, seeking to amend the originating process in her ongoing legal dispute with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The hearing has been rescheduled for February 17, 2025.
Alison-Madueke, through her lawyer, Professor Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed a suit (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023) requesting the court to grant her more time to apply for an order to annul the EFCC’s public notice for the sale of her assets.
She contends that the orders for the forfeiture of her assets were made without jurisdiction and that she was denied a fair hearing in the proceedings leading to those orders.
In her application, Alison-Madueke argued that she was not served with the charge sheet, proof of evidence, or any summons concerning the charges against her. She further claimed that the forfeiture orders issued in favor of the EFCC were made in violation of her constitutional right to a fair hearing, as guaranteed by Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
She also accused the courts of being misled due to the suppression or non-disclosure of critical information, which she asserts resulted in the violation of her right to property.
In response, the EFCC, represented by Detective Rufai Zaki, opposed Alison-Madueke’s application. Zaki argued that the assets were lawfully forfeited in accordance with a 2017 court order and that the agency had followed all legal procedures in its efforts to auction the properties as part of its efforts to recover proceeds of crime. The EFCC also insisted that the application for the final forfeiture of Alison-Madueke’s assets was properly instituted and had not been overturned on appeal.
At Thursday’s proceedings, Alison-Madueke’s counsel informed the court of their intention to amend their application challenging the final forfeiture of the seized assets. However, no legal representative from the EFCC was present in court.
After confirming that the EFCC had served the necessary documents to Alison-Madueke’s legal team, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until February 17, 2025, for the hearing of the motion to amend the originating summons.
