A Lagos Federal High Court on Monday ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sum of N7,646,700,000 linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to the Federal Government.
Recall that the court had on August, 9 ordered an interim forfeiture of the sum of N7,646,700,000 allegedly kept in Sterling Bank Plc by the former Minister.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had told the Justice Chuka Obiozor-led court via an exparte application that the N7.6bn was part of the sum of $153,310,000 which Diezani allegedly siphoned from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation sometime in 2014.
The Commission also alleged that the former Petroleum Minister stashed the money in three Nigerian banks.
However, the Federal Government had since February 2016, through an order granted by another judge, Justice Muslim Hassan also of the Federal High Court, taken possession of part of the money from the other banks.
The anti-graft agency told the court that the Federal Government had recovered N23.4bn, $5m and another N9.08bn out of the $153.3m.
It, therefore, prayed the court to order Sterling Bank to deliver up to the Federal Government the N7.6bn still in its custody.
Details later…
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