Court orders temporary forfeiture of Diezani’s $37.5m property

By Jerry Uwah

Lagos Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was yesterday ordered by a Federal High Court in Lagos to temporarily seize a property at Banana Island, Lagos bought by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani AlisonMadueke, for $37.5m. Papers presented in court by the EFCC show that the property, designated as Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Zone N, federal government Layout, Banana Island Foreshore Estate, has 24 apartments, 18 flats and six penthouses. The former minister would also temporarily lose the sums of $2,740,197.96 and N84, 537,840.70, said to be part of the rent collected on the property.

The funds were said to have been found in a Zenith Bank account number 1013612486. Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the temporary forfeiture orders on Tuesday, following an ex parte application to that effect brought before him by a counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Anselem Ozioko. Ozioko had told the judge that the EFCC reasonably suspected that the property was acquired with proceeds of alleged unlawful activities of Mrs. Alison-Madueke. “Nothing could be more suspicious than someone keeping such huge amounts in her apartment.

Why was she doing that; to avoid attention? “We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt because as of the time this happened, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was still in public service as the Minister of Petroleum Resources,” Ozioko told Justice Obiozor. In a 41-paragraph affidavit attached to the application, an investigative officer with the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, explained that Nwokedi, in connivance with the former minister, purposely incorporated the company, Rusimpex Limited, on September 11, 2013 to facilitate the alleged fraud scheme. Bawa said Nwokedi later registered Rusimpex Limited at the Corporate Affairs Commission, wherein a lawyer in his law firm, Adetula Ayokunle, and a Russian, Vladmir Jourauleu, were listed as the directors of the company, while the address of Nwokedi’s law firm in Ikoyi, Lagos was registered as the business address of Rusimpex Limited.

The investigator added that when Ayokunle was questioned by the EFCC, he explained that he only appended his signature on the CAC documents at his boss’ instruction, while Jourauleu denied knowledge of the company. After listening to the EFCC lawyer, on Tuesday, Justice Obiozor made an order temporarily forfeiting the property and the funds. He directed that the order should be published in a national newspaper. He adjourned till August 7, 2017, for anyone interested in the property and funds to appear before him.

Leave a Reply