A Federal High Court in Abuja has set October 23 as the hearing date for the lawsuit filed by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the order obtained by the EFCC for the final forfeiture of her seized assets. Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after Alison-Madueke's lawyer, Benson Igbanoi, and the EFCC's counsel, M.D. Baraya, completed the necessary procedures for the case. The auctioning of the seized assets, including properties believed to belong to Diezani, began on January 9, following court orders for their permanent forfeiture to the Federal Government. Former EFCC chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa recently disclosed that $153 million and over 80 properties were recovered from Alison-Madueke. Diezani, who allegedly fled to the United Kingdom after her tenure as petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015, filed the suit seeking an extension of time to challenge the EFCC's public notice for the sale of her property. In the motion filed by her lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Diezani requested five orders from the court, arguing that the previous orders were made without jurisdiction and violated her right to fair hearing. The EFCC countered the application, stating that investigation had revealed Diezani's involvement in criminal activities, and she had been charged in court. The EFCC urged the court to dismiss her application, emphasizing that the final forfeiture orders were made after due legal processes.
