ABUJA, Nigeria — A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled Monday, October 6, 2025, for the hearing of a suit filed by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, seeking to overturn the forfeiture of her assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The matter came up before Justice Mohammed Umar on Monday, June 30, 2025, who noted it was his first time handling the case.
He granted an adjournment after counsel on both sides confirmed readiness to proceed.
Diezani’s legal counsel, Godwin Iyinbor, told the court the matter was slated for hearing and that his team had filed responses to two motions served on them.
Representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mofesomo Oyetibo informed the judge he was making his first appearance in the matter.
In the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, filed on Friday, January 6, 2023, Alison-Madueke argued that all prior orders of forfeiture obtained by the EFCC were null and void, alleging they were secured without due process or jurisdiction.
She contended that she was never given a fair hearing, not served court processes, and was unaware of the legal proceedings that led to the forfeiture of properties linked to her.
“The various court orders issued in favour of the respondent and upon which the respondent issued the public notice to conduct a public sale… were issued in breach of the applicant’s right to fair hearing,” Alison-Madueke stated in her affidavit.
She cited Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.
Her filing further claimed the forfeiture orders were obtained “upon gross misstatements, misrepresentations, non-disclosure, concealment and suppression of material facts.”
In response, the EFCC, through its counter affidavit deposed by Rufai Zaki, disputed Alison-Madueke’s claims, describing them as “untrue.”
Zaki, a member of the investigative team in the EFCC’s probe into alleged criminal conspiracy, corruption, and money laundering involving the former minister, maintained that the forfeiture proceedings followed due legal processes.
“Most of the cases which led to the final forfeiture of the contested property were action in rem; the same were heard at various times and determined by this honourable court,” Zaki submitted.
He added that the court directed the EFCC to publish public notices inviting interested parties to contest the forfeiture of the said properties before final rulings were made.
Furthermore, the EFCC noted that Nnamdi Awa-Kalu, a lawyer, appeared in court on behalf of Alison-Madueke in at least one of the forfeiture proceedings.
The agency also pointed out that the final forfeiture order, which the former minister is now challenging, was granted as far back as 2017, and she did not file any appeal until recently.
In early January 2023, the EFCC announced plans to conduct a public sale of assets previously forfeited by Alison-Madueke.
These include multimillion-naira properties, luxury items, and bank accounts.
The former minister, who served under President Goodluck Jonathan, has been the subject of numerous corruption investigations and asset forfeiture proceedings since leaving office in 2015.
She currently resides in the United Kingdom.
Her fresh legal challenge, coming years after the forfeiture orders were granted, raises renewed questions over the procedural integrity of asset recovery processes and the long-running efforts to prosecute high-profile graft cases in Nigeria.
