Lukman Olabiyi

Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the temporary forfeiture of a land linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke valued at N325, 400,000 to the Federal Government.

The court granted the temporary forfeiture order, after listening to the Motion Ex-parte filed and argued by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Anselm Ozioko.

The vacant plot of land is said to be Plot 13, Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

Other joined as respondents in the suit are Mr Donald Chidi Amangbo (SAN) and Mez Group Limited.

In the motion ex-parte marked suit number FHC/L/ CS/811/18, the commission is seeking an interim order of the court forfeiting to the federal government of Nigeria the assets and properties named and described in the schedule to the application which properties and assets are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity. The EFCC is also seeking an order authorising the commission to appoint a competent person (s) or firm to manage the assets named and described in the scheduled to the application.

In the 27-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Abdulrasheed Bawa, an EFCC detective and filed before the court, it was averred that sometime in 2016, a search

warrant was executed at the office and premises of Amamgbo, a known Alison-Madueke acquantance.

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The commission said during the search, some of the documents recovered from Amamgbo’s office were an undated report titled “Highly Confidential Attorney Work Product-August Report.”

EFCC said the report contained a list of 18 companies and several properties located in the United Kingdom, Nigeria and the United States of America.

It was also averred that, in the course of his interview, Amamgbo told the anti-graft agency that he registered 18 companies to assist Alison-Madueke in holding titles of her properties and that all belong to her.

The anti-graft agency added that among properties on the list include the vacant plot of land at Plot 13 Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos under the name of Mez Group LCC; as the holiding entity.

After listening to arguments by EFCC counsel, Justice Kuewumi granted the application for interim forfeiture of the property to the federal government.

Justice Kuewumi further ruled that the order must be published in a national newspaper for anybody who has interest in the property sought to be forfeited to come forward and show cause why the property should not be permanently forfeited to government.

Meanwhile, July 24 has been fixed for the return date.