An erstwhile Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke has filed application before the Federal High Court in Lagos to prevail on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission to return her jewellery items worth a whopping sum of 14.4 Billion naira and a customized gold plated iPhone.
Recall that the anti-graft agency had on 5 July, secured a court order to temporarily confiscate the former minister’s property.
Diezani in her reactive action, had through her defence counsel, Professor Awa Kalu file an application nullifying such order.
The recuperating former minister who currently takes shelter in the United Kingdom accused the EFCC of illegally invading her house and violation of her fundamental human “right to own property and to appropriate them at her discretion,” under sections 43 and 44 of the Nigerian Constitution.
However, she pleaded with the court to strike out EFCC’s prayer for permanent forfeiture of her property to the Federal Government, adding that the court lacked jurisdiction to granted the temporary forfeiture order in the first place.
Diezani claimed that she had not received any court injunction before her house was ransacked by the anti-graft agency.
The proceedings ended in stalemate as her lawyer was involved in election petitions.
Justice Nichola Oweibo adjourned the case till August 29.