Former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has filed a legal action at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an injunction to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from disposing of her confiscated assets.
Represented by her legal counsel, led by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), she also requested that the court order the EFCC to recover any properties already sold to individuals or businesses.
Alison-Madueke argued that the EFCC had, in 2023, initiated a public auction of her assets without granting her the right to a fair hearing.
She contended that the anti-graft agency relied on various forfeiture orders obtained from different courts to justify the sale.
According to the former minister, she was never formally charged, presented with evidence, or summoned in any criminal case, despite the forfeiture orders against her properties.
She accused the EFCC of misleading the courts by withholding key facts and securing the orders through misrepresentation.
“In many instances, the courts were not fully informed before granting the final forfeiture orders. These rulings were made without giving me a fair chance to present my case, which is a violation of my constitutional rights,” she stated.
She further emphasized that the courts issuing the orders lacked the proper jurisdiction and that she had been outside Nigeria for medical treatment since 2015, making it impossible for her to respond to any legal notices published in local newspapers.
The former minister maintained that the EFCC’s claim that the properties were proceeds of unlawful activities was baseless, as no court had convicted her of any crime.
She also argued that forfeiture cases related to alleged criminal activities should require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, rather than the lower standard of evidence used in civil proceedings.
She noted that several legal challenges against the forfeiture orders were still pending in Lagos courts and insisted that no sales should proceed until those cases were resolved.
In response, the EFCC filed a counter-affidavit, arguing that its actions were lawful and in accordance with court directives.
One of its detectives, Oyakhilome Ekienabor, stated that the agency had conducted extensive investigations into Alison-Madueke’s tenure as a public official, leading to multiple criminal cases against her in Abuja and Adamawa, filed in 2017 and 2018.
The EFCC insisted that the sales were carried out legally, based on forfeiture orders issued by Justice C.A. Obiozor and Justice I.N. Oweibo in 2019.
It further stated that public notices were placed, giving any interested parties the opportunity to contest the forfeiture before the properties were auctioned.
During the court proceedings, Alison-Madueke’s lawyer, Godwin Iyibor, requested additional time to respond to the EFCC’s counter-affidavit, which he had received on March 14.
The EFCC’s counsel, Divine Okoro, admitted to filing delays but assured the court that the agency was prepared to proceed.
Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the case to March 27 for a final hearing, warning that no further delays would be tolerated.
Additionally, Alison-Madueke has filed a ₦100 billion defamation lawsuit against the EFCC, accusing the commission of orchestrating media reports that portrayed her as a looter, thereby damaging her reputation.