The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has sustained the final forfeiture order on the $40 million worth of jewelry seized from the premises of the former Minister for Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
Justice Festus Obande, who read the judgment today, Friday 26th November 2021, held that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s bid to overturn the lower court’s order and subsequently dismissed the move by the former Minister to challenge the forfeiture order.
Barring any appeal by the former minister to the Supreme Court, the pieces of jewelry are to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In July 2019, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had secured an order from Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, to temporarily forfeit the expensive items, suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities of the former minister, to the Federal Government.
According to the schedule attached to the forfeiture application, the jewelry, categorized into 33 sets, includes “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.”
