Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sum of N7.6billion suspected to belong to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison Madueke to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Justice Anka gave the ruling sequel to an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final and permanent forfeiture of the said sum to the Federal Government.

The anti-graft agency in its supporting affidavit averred that consequent upon the investigation carried out on the intelligent reports received by the commission, it discovered that the sum of N7.6billion kept in the accounts of some banks were proceeds of unlawful activities.

The forfeited sum was allegedly laundered through Gbenga Olu Komolafe, former Group Managing Director, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Prince Haruna Momoh, former Group Managing Director, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) ; Umar Farouk Ahmed , Group Managing Director of Nigerian Products Marketing Company (NPMC) on behalf of Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke.

It would be recalled that the Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Chuka Obiozor had on August 7th this year ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money which was allegedly hidden in several banks by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources.

The EFCC in the interim forfeiture application had alleged that Mrs. Alison-Madueke stashed the money in banks.

It further alleged that the Federal Government had since February last year, through an order granted by the same court but before another judge, Justice Muslim Hassan, recovered part of the huge money stashed in banks across the country by the former minister.

Saharareporters