The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed June 30, 2025, for the hearing of a suit filed by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the forfeiture of her assets by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the resumed proceedings on Friday, the former minister was represented by Mr. Godwin Iyinbor from the chambers of Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN. The EFCC, however, was not represented in court.
Addressing the court, Iyinbor informed the presiding judge, Justice Musa Umar, that Justice Inyang Ekwo—who previously handled the matter—had warned during the last sitting that any party responsible for delaying the substantive hearing on the next adjourned date would bear the cost.
In response, Justice Umar noted that since he was not the judge who issued the earlier directive, it would be appropriate to grant the EFCC another opportunity to appear. He ordered that hearing notices be served on the anti-graft agency and adjourned the matter to June 30 for hearing.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, Alison-Madueke is asking the court to extend the time to file an application seeking to set aside the EFCC’s public notice for the sale of her forfeited assets.
The former minister contended that the forfeiture orders were made without jurisdiction and that she was denied her constitutional right to a fair hearing. She requested five reliefs, including an order nullifying the EFCC’s public notice announcing the disposal of her properties.
Alison-Madueke argued that she was neither served with the charge sheet nor with any summons or proof of evidence regarding the underlying criminal charges. She also accused the EFCC of misleading the court by suppressing or failing to disclose material facts in its application for the forfeiture order.
The EFCC, in its response, urged the court to dismiss her application. The Commission maintained that it followed all due processes in securing the final forfeiture order and that the properties had already been lawfully disposed of pursuant to a 2017 court order, which has not been overturned on appeal.
PUO Reports will continue to follow developments on this matter as it progresses in court.
