Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of N2.6bn Houses Traced To Alison-Madueke
Justice AbdulAziz Anka of the Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos Tuesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of four buildings valued at $16.041,906, about N2.6bn, located Lagos State, River States, and Abuja.
Justice Anka ordered that the assets, which are linked to former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, are suspected to be proceeds of corruption be temporary forfeited to the federal government after hearing an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
The properties ordered to be temporary forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria are: 21 mixed housing units of 8 numbers of four bedrooms penthouse apartments; six numbers of three bedroom apartments; two numbers of three bedrooms apartments and one four bedrooms apartment, all ensuit, located at 7, Thurnburn Street, and 5 Raymond Street, Yaba, valued at N937 million.
Another property, a 16-four bedrooms terrace, located at Heritage Court Estate, Omerelu Street, Diobu GRA, Port-Harcourt, River State, valued at N928 million; a 13 three- bedrooms with one room maid’s quarter, situated at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Plot 1205, Cadastral Zone B06, Mabushi, Abuja, valued at N650 million; and six flats of three bedrooms and one boys quarter, located at Plot 808 (135) were also ordered to be temporarily forfeited.
Four companies, Chapel Properties Ltd, Blue Nile Estate Ltd, Azinge Meadows Ltd and Vistapoint Property Development were allegedly used to acquire the properties.
The anti-graft agency listed all four companies as respondents alongside the Former Petroleum Minister and her acquaintance, Mr Donald Amamgbo.
In an affidavit filed in support of the application, the EFCC stated that it received intelligence report sometime in 2016 against one Donald Chidi Amamgbo and the Former Petroleum Minister.
The commission then obtained a search warrant and following a search at the premises and offices of Mr Amamgbo, recovered an undated report titled, ‘Highly Confidential Attorney Work Product-August Report’.
The report allegedly contains a list of 18 companies and several properties located in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and the USA.
According to the EFCC, during the course of investigations, Mr Amamgbo claimed that he registered the 18 companies to assist Mrs. Alison-Madueke in holding titles of certain properties.
The Head of Legal of the EFCC’s Lagos Office, Mr Anselem Ozioko also told the court that some documents from First Bank of Nigeria Plc confirmed to the commission that payments for all the properties were at the instance of Mrs Alison-Madueke.
Justice Obiozor granted the order and directed the commission to publish same.
The judge also ordered the EFCC to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the temporary forfeited assets/properties.
He directed EFCC to notify the respondents in whose possession the assets/properties sought to be forfeited are found to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days, why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The court then adjourned till September 8 for all five respondents and any other interested party to appear before it to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
