The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Friday upheld the final forfeiture order on the $40 million worth of jewelleries seized from the premises of the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
The judgement was read by Justice Festus Obande. He held that there was no substance in Alison-Madueke’s bid to overturn the lower court’s order. He, therefore, dismissed the move by the former minister to challenge the forfeiture order.
The fugitive ex-minister can still appeal the judgment at the Supreme Court. Until then, the jewelleries had been forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had in July 2019 secured an order from Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court to temporarily forfeit the expensive items to the Federal Government.
The jewelleries 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.
The anti-graft agency subsequently prayed for the final forfeiture order through its counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo.
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.