Court orders interim forfeiture of Diezani’s jewellery, gold iPhone worth ₦14bn

A Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture to the Federal Government of some jewellery,a customised gold iPhone worth N14bn ($40m) recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in the premises of a Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison. Justice Nicholas Oweibo gave the order for the forfeiture after granting a motion exparte application brought before him by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo.

The application, titled action in rem, had Diezani as the only defendant and it was filed pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.

In the application, the EFCC noted that the expensive jewelries comprising wristwatches, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, earrings and more were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of the former Minister.