A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an application by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to amend her suit challenging the order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of her seized assets.
Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the request after the motion was moved by Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Inyinbor, and the EFCC’s counsel, Divine Oguru, did not oppose it.
When the matter was called, Inyinbor, who appeared for Diezani, informed the court that his team had already filed a motion for an amendment of their originating process and the defendant had been duly served.
Oguru did not raise any objection to the ex-minister’s plea to amend her suit and Justice Ekwo granted it as prayed.
The judge, who gave Diezani five days to file and serve the amended processes, granted EFCC 14 days from the date of service to respond.
The matter was adjourned till March 17 for further mention.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on November 21, 2024, fixed yesterday for hearing the motion to amend the originating process.
It was also reported that the ex-minister had, through her counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), sued the anti-graft agency as the sole respondent.
In the suit, Alison-Madueke, sought an order extending the time to seek leave to apply to the court for an order to set aside the EFCC’s public notice issued to conduct a public sale on her property. In the motion, dated and filed on January 6, 2023 by her lawyer, the former minister sought five orders from the court.
Alison-Madueke, who argued that the various orders were made without jurisdiction, said these “ought to be set aside ex debito justitiae” (as a matter of right).
She said she was not given a fair hearing in all the proceedings leading to the orders.
“The various court orders issued in favour of the respondent and upon which the respondent issued the public notice were issued in breach of the applicant’s right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as altered, and other similar constitutional provisions,” she said.
