Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has scheduled October 6, 2025, for hearing in a suit filed by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the final forfeiture of her assets to the Federal Government.
At the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, Alison-Madueke’s counsel, Godwin Iyinbor, informed the court that the matter was slated for hearing and that his team had responded to the two motions served on them.
Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mofesomo Oyetibo, who appeared in the matter for the first time, also informed the court of his appearance.
Justice Umar, who also noted that the matter was coming before him for the first time, adjourned the case till October 6, 2025, for hearing.
Recall that the EFCC had issued a public notice for the sale of assets forfeited by court order from the former minister on January 9, 2023.
However, Alison-Madueke, in a motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023 and filed on January 6, 2023, sought to set aside all the forfeiture orders obtained by the EFCC on the grounds that the said orders were made without jurisdiction and in breach of her right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
She alleged that she was neither served court processes nor given notice of the proceedings that led to the forfeiture orders. According to her, the applications upon which the orders were made were fraught with “gross misstatements, misrepresentations, non-disclosure, concealment and suppression of material facts.”
She argued that such orders, having been obtained in violation of her constitutional rights, are nullities and should be set aside ex debito justitiae.
Responding, the EFCC in a counter affidavit through one of its investigators, Rufai Zaki, dismissed the ex-minister’s claims as false and misleading.
Zaki, a member of the team that investigated the case of alleged criminal conspiracy, official corruption, and money laundering involving the former minister and others, stated that the forfeiture proceedings were in rem, targeted at the property, not the individual, and followed due process.
He noted that the courts directed the EFCC to publish notices in national dailies inviting interested parties to show cause why the properties should not be finally forfeited.
The notices, he said, were duly published and served their purpose.
Zaki further disclosed that one Nnamdi Awa-Kalu appeared on behalf of Alison-Madueke in one of the proceedings, thereby establishing her awareness of the legal actions.
He emphasized that the orders being challenged were granted as far back as 2017 and had not been appealed, asserting that due process was followed in securing the final forfeiture orders.
The Commission maintains that the assets in question were proceeds of unlawful activities and remain forfeited to the Federal Government.
