The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the final forfeiture of two penthouses valued at $4.760m allegedly belonging to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
They are – Penthouse 21, Building 5, Block C, 11th floor (Bella Vista Estate) Banana Island, Ikoyi and Penthouse 22, Block B (Admiralty Estate) also in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Ruling on an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), JJustice Mojisola Olatoregun ordered that the buildings be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Commission’s lawyer, Mr. ABC Ozioko, told the court that he had a motion on notice for a final forfeiture order in respect of the properties.
He added that the interim forfeiture order made on December 5 last year was advertised in The Nation Newspaper as ordered by the court.
He also prayed for an order prohibiting the disposal of any mortgage or sale of the properties, and for an order authorising the EFCC to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the properties.
The respondents’ counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey, did not object to the prayers.
Justice Olatoregun granted the orders as prayed.
She said: “I have observed the facts and exhibits attached and I am also mindful that the second, third and fourth respondents have no objections to the application.
“I, therefore, have no hesitation in ordering a final forfeiture of the properties to the federal government.”
Mrs. Alison-Madueke, Donald Amangbo, Schillenburg LLC and Sequoyah Property Limited are the respondents in the matter.
The Commission said the companies in whose names the companies were acquired belong to the former minister.
An EFCC investigator, Abdulrasheed Bawa, in an affidavit, said sometime in 2016, a search warrant was executed at Amangbo’s premises.
He said Amangbo was “an acquaintance of Mrs. Alison Madueke.”
The investigator said one of the documents recovered from Amamgbo led the operatives to the Deputy Managing Director of YF Construction Development and Real Estate Limited, Mr. Fadi Basbous.
The deponent said Basbous made a statement where he stated that the two properties were sold at $3.570million and $1.194million and are owned by Sequoyah Properties Limited and Schillenburg LLC.