Former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has lost $153million permanently as a court hands it over to the Federal Government.
Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to forfeit the sum of $153 million to the Federal Government after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission contested that the money was diverted from the coffers of the Nigerian National‎ Petroleum Corporation by the former politician.
The order was given today by Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos had in January ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of $153,310,000, which Diezani Alison-Madueke, allegedly siphoned from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and stashed in three banks in the country.
Out of the allegedly stolen $153.3m, a sum of N23, 446, 300,000 was kept in Sterling Bank Plc, N9,080, 000,000 in First Bank Plc and $5m in Access Bank Plc.
After ordering the temporary forfeiture of the monies to the Federal Government on Friday, Justice Hassan gave Sterling Bank and any other interested party 14 days to appear before him to prove the legitimacy of the monies, failure of which the funds would be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.