A Federal High Court in Lagos State on Friday ordered the forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone, valued at $40m, belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The presiding judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who ordered that the items should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government., gave the order following an ex parte application moved on Friday morning by a lawyer for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Rotimi Oyedepo.
In the application, the EFCC said that it found and recovered the jewellery and the customised gold iPhone “on the premises of the respondent.”
It alleged that the former minister acquired them with “proceeds of unlawful activities.”
According to the schedule attached to the application, the jewellery were categorised into 33 sets which 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 judge ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the forfeiture order in a national newspaper “for the respondent or anyone who is interested in the property sought to be forfeited to appear before this honourable court to show cause within 14 days why a final forfeiture order of the said properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The judge adjourned till August 23, 2019, for further proceedings.
Here is the list of items forfeited to the government:
Description Quantity
Expensive Bangles 419
Expensive rings 315
Expensive earrings 304
Expensive necklace 267
Expensive wrist watch 189
Expensive necklace and earrings 174
Expensive bracelet 78
Expensive Brooch 77
Expensive Pendants 74
Expensive necklace 48
Expensive necklace, bracelet, earrings and rings 44
Expensive necklace, earrings and rings 32
Expensive pendants and earrings 30
Expensive necklace and bracelets 18
Expensive earrings and rings 15
Expensive earrings, rings and bracelets 12
Expensive cufflinks 11
Expensive pendants earrings and rings 6
Expensive single earrings 5
Expensive bracelets and earrings 5
Expensive bracelets and single earrings 3
Expensive necklace and ring 3
Expensive travel clocks 3
Expensive brooch and cufflinks 3
Expensive pendants and rings 2
Expensive bracelet earrings and rigs 1
Expensive bangles and earrings 1
Expensive necklace, ring and bracelet 1
Expensive bangle, ring and brooch 1
Expensive necklace, earrings and 2 bracelets 4
Expensive bangle and ring 1
Expensive brooch and earrings 1
Necklace and two pairs of earrings 3
Customized gold iPhone 1
