FG takes over $2.7m ex-Minister's Abuja homes, cars

 

The Federal Government has been ordered by Court to take over two Abuja properties and two luxury cars belonging to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Dirzani Alison-Madueke.

Ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dirzani Alison-Madueke.

Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja gave the order on Monday while ruling on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Suit No. 1122/2021 and Suit No 1123/2021, asking for the final forfeiture of the assets.

 

Recall that the EFCC had on November 29, 2021, obtained the interim forfeiture of the assets in a ruling on a separate motion ex-parte, filed on September 27, 2021, which prayed the court to order the interim forfeiture of the assets on the grounds of reasonable suspicion that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.

It was gathered that the two properties are located at Plot 1854 Mohammed Mahathir Street, and No. 6, Aso Drive, in the highbrow Asokoro and Maitama Districts of Abuja and are valued at $2,674,418USD and N380, 000,000 respectively.

The luxury cars are a black BMW saloon with Chassis No B8CV54V66629 and registered number, RBC155 DH and a black Jaguar saloon car with Chassis No SAJAA.20 GRDMv43376, valued at N36,000,000.

But in granting the interim forfeiture Order, Justice Olajuwon had ordered the EFCC to publish a notice in a national newspaper, inviting anyone with interest in the assets to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the federal government.

The court thereafter adjourned till January 22, 2022, for a report.

In adherence with the Order of the Court, the Forfeiture Order was published in Thisday Newspaper on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.

Thus, in the absence of any contestation of the Interim Order, the Court, today, forfeited the property to the federal government led by President Muhammad Buhari.