A suit filed by former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, to reclaim her forfeited assets suffered a setback on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suit, scheduled for mention before Justice Inyang Ekwo, could not proceed shortly after being called.
Diezani’s lawyer, Eko-Ejembi Eko, SAN, requested an adjournment, stating he was new to the case and needed more time to review the file.
EFCC counsel, Paul Mgbeoma, did not oppose the application. With both parties in agreement, Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to Jan. 26 for further mention.
The ex-minister, in the suit, is praying the court to order the EFCC to retrieve from persons, whether natural or corporate, to whom it sold her seized assets or property.
Diezani, in an amended suit, sought an order setting aside the commission’s public notice, under which it conducted the public auction sale.
In the public notice, the anti-graft agency announced the sale of the former minister’s assets from Jan. 9, 2023 to Jan. 13, 2023.
Against the announcement, the ex-minister had, in the originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, sued the EFCC as the sole respondent.
In the suit dated and filed on Jan. 6, 2023, she sought an order extending the time to seek leave to apply to the court to set aside the EFCC’s public notice to conduct a public sale of her property, among others.
On July 1, Justice Ekwo granted the ex-minister’s application to present evidence of the London court that acquitted her.
However, the EFCC opposed Diezani’s application to present evidence of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court in London.
In a further counter-affidavit to Diezani’s request, the EFCC prayed Justice Ekwo to dismiss the application.
The commission argued that Diezani’s purported acquittal by a foreign criminal court on charges preferred against her was not material or relevant to the specific issues for determination before the instant court.
