A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sum of N7.646 billion to the federal government.
The money which is regarded as proceeds of crime is suspected to belong to former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka made the ruling following an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the final and permanent forfeiture of the said sum to the federal government.
EFCC, in its supporting affidavit, averred that following the investigation carried out on the intelligent reports received by the commission, it discovered that the sum of N7.646 billion, kept in the accounts of some banks were actually proceeds of unlawful activities held and laundered through Gbenga Olu Komolafe, former Group Managing Director, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC, Prince Haruna Momoh, former Group Managing Director, Petroleum Products Management Company (PPMC), Umar Farouk Ahmed, Group Managing Director of Nigerian Products Marketing Company (NPMC) on behalf of Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court, Lagos, presided over by Justice Chuka Obiozor had on August 7, 2017, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of N7.646 billion, allegedly hidden in banks by the former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the federal government.
The order granted earlier by Justice Obiozor, followed an ex- parte application argued before him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had in the application alleged that Mrs. Alison-Madueke stashed the money in some banks.
The anti graft agency further alleged that the Federal Government had since February last year, through an order granted by another judge, Justice Muslim Hassan also of the Federal High Court, recovered part of the huge money stashed in banks across the country by the former minister.
