Asset forfeiture: Court grants Diezani’s request to produce UK acquittal as fresh evidence

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Federal High Court, Abuja,has granted former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke leave to present her recent acquittal by a UK court as fresh evidence in her ongoing suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the forfeiture of her assets.

Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the unopposed application on Wednesday, following a motion on notice filed by Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Iyinbor.

EFCC counsel, Mofesomo Oyetibo, SAN, confirmed the commission would not contest the application, though he described it as an attempt to waste the court’s time, noting only that the motion sought to draw the court’s attention to his client’s exoneration in the UK.

Diezani was discharged and acquitted of bribery-related charges by London’s Southwark Crown Court on June 17.

Her legal team, led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, argued that the acquittal constitutes a material development bearing on the Nigerian case, which challenges the EFCC’s public notice for the auction of her seized properties.

In his written argument, Ozekhome stressed that the defence was not asking the court to treat the UK verdict as binding on the Nigerian proceedings or to sit in appeal over it.

Rather, he said, it was material the court should weigh in determining questions around due process, fair hearing, and the absence of a conviction underpinning the forfeiture.

Justice Ekwo granted the motion as prayed and adjourned the matter to October 6, when he ruled that the EFCC’s preliminary objection and the substantive suit would be heard together.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, was filed pursuant to leave granted by the court in February 2025.