Admin l Tuesday, August 22, 2017
IKOYI, Lagos – A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos today ordered interim forfeiture of 56 houses allegedly bought between 2011 and 2013 for $21,982,224 million (N3,320,000,000 billion) by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka, a vacation judge, made the order following an ex parte application filed August 16, 2017 by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC).
Justice Anka authorised the EFCC to appoint a firm to manage the properties and then gave the respondents 14 days to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
Counsel to EFCC, Mr. Anselem Ozioko told the court that Diezani paid $16,441,906 (N2.6billion) cash in several tranches and another $5,540318 (N840,000,000) cash for the properties through four ‘front’ firms which held the titles in trust for her. He listed the firms as Chapel Properties, Blue Nile Estate, Azinga Meadows and Vistapoint Property Development.
Ozioko said the commission had discovered 14 other firms incorporated for the ex-minister for the purpose of holding titles to those properties.
Diezani, he added, purchased the properties from proceeds of unlawful activity during her tenure as minister. According to EFCC, the properties include 29 terraced houses comprising eight four-bedroom penthouse apartments, six three-bedroom apartments, two three-bedroom maisonettes, two twin bedroom apartments and one four-bedroom apartment.
The houses, located at No. 7, Thurnbull Street and 5, Raymond Street, Yaba, were allegedly bought by Diezani for the US dollar equivalent of N937,000,000 through Chapel Properties Ltd.
Others are 16 four-bedroom terraced houses in Heritage Court Estate, Plot 2C, Omerelu Street, Diobu, Government Residential Area (GRA) Phase 1 extension, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, purchased for N928,000,000 through Blue Nile Estate Ltd.
She allegedly purchase 13 three-bedroom terraced houses with one-room maid’s quarters ensuite for N650,000,000 through Azinga Meadows Ltd.The commission also stated that Diezani paid N805,000,000 through Vistapoint property Development Ltd, for six flats of three bedrooms and one boys’ quarters each, a lawn tennis court, gym and ‘matured garden’
According to an affidavit in support of the application by an EFCC investigative officer, Mr Sombori Mayana, the commission got wind of the the properties in 2016 following it’s execution of a search warrant on the office and premises of Diezani’s acquaintance, Mr Donald Chidi Amamgbo.
Mayana said: “…among the documents recovered from the office of Mr Donald Chidi Amamgbo was an undated report titled ‘HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY EOTK PRODUCT – AUGUST REPORT’
“The report contained a list of 18 companies and several properties located in The United Kingdom, Nigeria and The United States of America. During the course of his interview, Mr Donald Amamgbo told us that he registered the 18 companies to assist Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke in holding titles of the properties.”
Mayana averred that a principal manager and head, business development of FBN Mortgages Ltd, Mrs Bolanle Onotu, confirmed that the properties were sold by her organisation to Diezani’s alleged four proxy firms for N937m, N928m and N650m and received payment through First Bank account numbers 2004483850 and 2008133531 between September 23, 2011 and June 16, 2015.
“First Bank of Nigeria Plc…stated that the source of the money was from Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke and that the bank picked up United States dollars from her house at 10, Frederick Chiluba Close off Jose Marti Street, Asokoro, Abuja,” Mayana added.
He said a total of $16,041,906 was picked up by the bank at Diezani’s house between September 29, 2011 and April 4, 2013 and converted to Naira.
According to Mayana, another firm, Adebern Parks Nigeria Ltd received N802,500,000 in its Zenith Bank account from an Ecobank account for the purchase of some of the properties. One Mr Adeyemi Edun “received the sum of N840,000,000 from Skye Bank Plc which on his instruction transferred the sum of N805,000,000 to his Eco Bank account from where he paid Adebern Parks for the property.”
