*The forfeited expensive items at a glance:
419 expensive bangles; 315 expensive rings; 304 expensive earrings; 267 expensive necklaces; 189 expensive wristwatches; 174 expensive necklaces and earrings; 78 expensive bracelets; 77 expensive brooches; and 74 expensive pendants.
The Court of Appeal in Lagos, on Friday, dismissed an appeal by the embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the propriety of the forfeiture of her $40million worth of jewellery to the Federal Government.
In its landmark verdict on the matter, the appellate court also held that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s bid to overturn the lower court’s order.
The Court of Appeal further affirmed the 2019 judgment of Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court which forfeited the expensive jewellery, following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The appellate court stated this while delivering its judgment in an appeal filed by Alison-Madueke in the Appeal No CA/L/1263/19 between Diezani Alison-Madueke and the EFCC.
Theideal recalls that the EFCC had on July 5, 2019, secured an interim order from the Federal High Court in Lagos, temporarily forfeiting the jewellery to the Federal Government.
In the schedule attached to the EFCC application, the jewellery, categorised into 33 sets, include “419 expensive bangles; 315 expensive rings; 304 expensive earrings; 267 expensive necklaces; 189 expensive wristwatches; 174 expensive necklaces and earrings; 78 expensive bracelets; 77 expensive brooches; and 74 expensive pendants.”
Incidentally, aforementioned items were seized from Diezani’s premises at No. 10 Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro, Abuja.
In his verdict on the matter, Justice Oweibo granted the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of the jewellery.
The judge also held that Diezani failed to show cause why the jewellery should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In his argument for the final forfeiture order, lawyer to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the judge that the items were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities of the ex-minister.
The EFCC had also in an affidavit before the court by its investigator, Rufai Zaki, insisted that the jewellery were beyond the former minister’s “known and provable lawful income.”
According to the investigator, findings by the EFCC showed that she started acquiring the jewellery in 2012, two years after she was appointed as the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The investigator also disclosed that the EFCC was in possession of the details of the bank account through which Mrs Alison-Madueke received her salary as a minister.
Zaki said, “The respondent did not utilise her salary or any part of her legitimate income to acquire the assets sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The investigator also said that a “damning intelligence report” received by the EFCC led to the search of former minister’s house at 10 Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro, Abuja.
But Diezani has challenged the seizure of the jewelleries from her premises by the EFCC.
In an affidavit filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Prof Awa Kalu (SAN), Diezani alleged that the EFCC violated her fundamental “right to own property and to appropriate them at her discretion,” under sections 43 and 44 of the constitution.
Diezani, who is currently in the United Kingdom, also accused the EFCC of entering her apartment illegally and taking the items without any court order.
