Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has upheld the final forfeiture order on the $40 million worth of jewellery seized from the premises of the former minister for petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
Justice Festus Obande, who read the judgment on Friday, November 26 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 jewelleries are to be forfeited to the federal government.
According to the schedule attached to the forfeiture application, the jewellery, categorised into 33 sets, includes:
1. 419 expensive bangles
2. 315 expensive rings
3. 304 expensive earrings
4. 267 expensive necklaces
5. 189 expensive wristwatches
6. 174 expensive necklaces and earrings
7. 78 expensive bracelets
8. 77 expensive brooches and
9. 74 expensive pendants
In his application for the final forfeiture order, EFCC counsel Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo had told the judge that the items were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities of the former minister.
The former minister on her part had challenged the seizure of the jewelleries from her premises by the EFCC.
Diezani, through her lawyer, alleged that the EFCC violated her fundamental right to own property and to appropriate them at her discretion.
She also accused the anti-graft agency of entering her apartment illegally and taking the items without any court order.
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