Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an injunction to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from proceeding with the auction of properties seized from her.
In an amended application presented by her counsel, Mike Ozekhome, Diezani also urged the court to compel the EFCC to recover properties already sold to third parties.
Diezani argued that the EFCC violated her right to a fair hearing by conducting public auctions of her assets without serving her with any charges, proof of evidence, or court summons related to criminal proceedings.
She alleged that forfeiture orders were obtained against her assets through misrepresentations and non-disclosure of material facts to the courts.
“The several forfeiture orders against my properties were based on gross misstatements and misrepresentations by the EFCC, which misled the courts into making these orders,” the application stated.
Diezani contended that she was out of the country for medical treatment since 2015 and was not aware of the legal proceedings against her until recently.
She emphasized that she did not have access to Nigerian newspapers during her absence, which prevented her from being informed about the court actions.
Furthermore, Diezani asserted that the EFCC’s actions were premature since she has pending lawsuits challenging the forfeiture orders in Lagos courts.
She argued that until these legal challenges are resolved, any attempt to sell her properties would render the sales ineffective.
In response, the EFCC filed a counter-affidavit challenging Diezani’s claims, affirming that all actions regarding the seized properties were conducted in accordance with due process.
Oyakhilome Ekienabor, representing the EFCC, emphasized that the forfeiture orders remain valid and have not been set aside by any court.
During the recent court session, Diezani’s counsel requested additional time to respond to the EFCC’s counter-affidavit, which was served on March 14.
The presiding judge stressed the urgency of the case, which has been ongoing since 2023, and scheduled the next hearing for March 27.
The EFCC’s counsel, Divine Oguru, apologized for the delay in responding and assured the court of readiness for the upcoming proceedings.
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