The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled October 6 for a crucial hearing in a lawsuit brought by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, aimed at halting the sale of her seized properties by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Abubakar Umar adjourned proceedings to allow her legal team time to address new filings submitted by the EFCC. Represented by her counsel, Godwin Iyibor, and a legal team led by senior advocate Prof. Mike Ozekhome, the former minister is asking the court to compel the EFCC to recover and return any assets already auctioned.
Alison-Madueke contends that the EFCC violated her constitutional right to a fair hearing when it began selling off properties linked to her through public auctions in 2023. She argued that the commission relied on final forfeiture orders from various courts, but failed to serve her with any formal charges, evidence, or court summons in connection with the forfeiture proceedings. According to her, these actions amounted to a breach of due process.
She further alleged that the forfeiture orders were secured through the EFCC’s “gross misstatements, misrepresentations, non-disclosure, and concealment of material facts.” In several cases, she claimed, the courts were misled into granting final forfeiture orders without full knowledge of her interest in the assets. She is asking the court to invalidate the orders, describing them as “void ab initio” and insisting that no sale should be conducted while legal challenges are pending.
The former minister also told the court that the EFCC obtained these forfeiture rulings from courts lacking jurisdiction and without proper notification, especially since she had left Nigeria for medical reasons in 2015 and had no access to Nigerian media publications.
She emphasized that she has not been convicted of any crime to justify the seizure and disposal of her assets, asserting that only a court can lawfully declare her actions as criminal.
In its defence, the EFCC submitted a counter-affidavit arguing that due process was followed in the confiscation and sale of the properties. The commission stated that its actions were based on valid court orders and were preceded by public notices in national newspapers inviting interested parties to come forward. It cited ongoing criminal proceedings against Alison-Madueke in different jurisdictions, including charges filed in Abuja and Adamawa State courts in 2017 and 2018.
The anti-graft agency emphasized that the properties in question were sold following final forfeiture orders granted by Justice C.A. Obiozor and Justice I.N. Oweibo in 2019. According to the EFCC, those orders remain legally binding and have not been overturned.
The Commission maintained that the disposal of the assets followed all legal procedures and cannot be deemed unlawful.
This legal challenge adds to ongoing friction between Alison-Madueke and the EFCC. In a separate N100 billion defamation suit filed in 2023, the former minister accused the agency of sponsoring damaging media reports that portrayed her as a “treasury looter.” She argued that the publications subjected her to public contempt and ridicule, compounding her efforts to defend her reputation both at home and abroad.
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