A Nigerian court has seized more than $21million from bank accounts linked to a former oil minister who faces corruption allegations.
A federal high court judge in Lagos ordered the seizure of the additional cash held by Alison-Madueke, one of Africa’s foremost female politicians.
The money is suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities which was traced by anti-graft agency the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It is said to be among monies allegedly stashed in several local banks by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The ruling by Justice Abdulaziz Anka followed an application by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the money to the federal government.
This came on the heels of the interim forfeiture order by Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High court in which he mandated the Commission to publish a notice in the media requesting any interested party to show cause within two weeks, why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
At the hearing on Monday, Counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the Court that the interim order had been published in a national newspaper as directed and no one contested the forfeiture order.
Urging the court to order a permanent forfeiture of the funds, Oyedepo said: “I pray my Lord to forfeit this money to the Federal Government of Nigeria for it to be utilized for Nigerians, since no one is willing to contest this application.”
Delivering his judgement on the application, Justice Anka said: “In the face of the publication, which I find before me, and there being no responses from any interested party, I have no other option but to grant the orders as prayed.”