ICIR Nigeria
CHAIRMAN of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) AbdulRasheed Bawa has said that pieces of jewellery seized from Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke were worth N14.460 billion.
Bawa disclosed this while appearing before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee probing the status of recovered loot on Friday.
He said that about 80 houses forfeited by the embattled ex-minister had been valued at about $80m.
The commission had, during a raid on one of the minister’s residences in Abuja, recovered the items which included: 419 bangles, 315 rings, 304 earrings, 267 necklaces, 189 wristwatches, 174 necklaces and earrings, 78 bracelets, 77 brooches, and 74 pendants.
A customised gold iPhone was also recovered during the raid.
The anti-graft agency alleged that she started acquiring the jewellery in 2012 while she was already a serving minister.
In 2019, a Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered the final forfeiture of the items to the Nigerian government.
Similarly, in 2017, Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordered the permanent forfeiture of N7.6 billion linked to Alison-Madueke.
Justice Obiozor, in a separate suit, also ordered the permanent forfeiture of $37.5 million Banana Island mansion linked to the former minister.
In addition to the building, the court also ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sums of $2.740 million and N84.537 million realised as rents on the property.
Earlier this month, the EFCC had said in its monthly publication that it had recovered $153 million.
Bawa said the commission was still pursuing another case of $115 million INEC bribery by the fleeing minister who had been outside the shores of the country since leaving office in 2015.
He noted that efforts were ongoing to extradite Alison-Madueke to answer to her crimes in the country.
“There are several cases surrounding Diezani’s case. I was part of that investigation, and we have done quite a lot. In one of the cases, we recovered $153 million. We have secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $80 million. We have done quite a bit on that,” he said.
“The other case, as it relates to the $115 million INEC bribery, is also ongoing across the federation. We are looking forward to the time we will, maybe, have her in the country, and, of course, review things and see what will happen going forward. The case has certainly not been abandoned.’’
In challenging the seizure, Alison-Madueke said the EFCC violated her fundamental right to own property.
According to her, the search of her home that led to the seizure was conducted without any court order, hence making it illegal.
Since 2015, Alison-Madueke has been holed up in the United Kingdom where she faces a separate probe for alleged bribery, corruption and money laundering.
This Story First Appeared At The ICIR NIgeria
