Court temporary forfeits Deziani's N325m Lekki Land to FG

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*Deziani Alison-Madueke

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday, ordered the temporary forfeiture of a landed property belonging to the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke valued at N325.4million, to the Federal Government.
Other defendants in the suit are a lawyer, Mr Donald Amangbo and Mez Group Limited.
Trial judge, Justice Babs Kweuwumi who presided over the court, granted the order of temporary forfeiture of the property, a vacant plot of land said to be at Plot 13, Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos after listening to the motion ex-parte and argued by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, A.B.C. Ozioko.
The EFCC in a motion ex-parte marked FHC/L/CS/811/18, sought for an interim order of the court forfeiting to the Federal Government, the assets and properties named and described in the schedule to the application which properties and assets are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
The EFCC in the affidavit is also seeking an order authorising the commission to appoint a competent person (s) or firm to manage the assets named and described in the scheduled to the application.
The EFCC also asked the court for an order directing the applicant to notify the person(s) in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In the alternative, an order directing the publication in any national newspaper of the interim order under relief 1 above for persons in whose possession the properties sought to be forfeited are found or anyone who is interested in the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government.
In the 27 paragraphs affidavit deposed to by one Abdulrasheed Bawa an detective of the EFCC and filed before the court, it was averred that sometime in 2016 a search warrant was executed at the office and premises of one Mr Amamgbo, SAN, a known acquaintance of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke.
The commission said that during the search, some of the documents recovered from Amamgbo's office was an undated report titled "Highly Confidential Attorney Work Product- August Report.”
EFCC said the report contained a list of 18 companies and several properties located in United Kingdom, Nigeria and United States of America.
It was also averred that in the course of his interview, Amamgbo told the anti-graft agency that he registered the 18 companies to assist Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke in holding titles of her properties and that all belongs to her.
The anti-graft agency added that among the properties on the list is; A vacant plot of  land at Plot 13 Block 11, Oniru Chieftaincy Family Private Estate, Lekki, Lagos under the name of  Mez Group LCC as the holding entity.
The EFCC said it consequently wrote a letter dated May 11, 2016 to the Oniru Chieftaincy Family Property Company for copies of the sales agreement /Deed of lease and evidence of payment for the property while the Oniru responded by submitting the following; a sub-lease  agreement between Oniru and Skye Bank.
A letter dated September 5, 2011, and Paul Osaji to Oniru requesting for the release of sublease agreement between Oniru and Mez Group LCC.
Also recovered from Amamgbo's office is a letter dated September 5, 2011 from Oniru to Mez Group LCC titled collection of Deed of sub-lease of the property.
The commission said enquiries from Skye Bank Plc indicate that the bank bought the property from Oniru sometimes in 2006, but  sold it to Exclamation Nigeria Limited in 2008, and that in 2012 the property was purchased by Mez Group LCC through Paul Osaji & Co , Estate Surveyors and Valuers.
The affidavit further stated that Paul Osaji in his response to EFCC's letter said among others issue that in 2010 , the land was sold to Mez Group LCC for the sum of N325,400 million.
Osaji was also said to have submitted letter which includes sub-lease agreement between Oniru and Mez Group, copies of 19 First Bank of Nigeria Manager Cheques all dated December 24, 2010, with a total value N185.4 million, in favour of Exclamation Nigeria Limited, five Zenith Bank Plc's Manager Cheques all dated November 9, 2010, with total value of N50 million, in favour of Exclamation Nigeria Limited.
Also recovered was five copies of UBA Plc Manager Cheques all dated November 8, 2010 with total value of N90 million.
The applicant said among other investigation carried out, the Land Bureau in Alausa, Lagos was written and the bureau confirmed that the land belongs to Mez Group.
Consequently, EFCC asked that the property be forfeited to the Federal Government in the interim.
After listening to submission by counsel to EFCC, Justice Kuewumi granted the application for interim forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Kweuwumi further ruled that the order must be published in a national newspaper for anybody who have interest in the property sought to be forfeited to come forward and show cause why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Justice Kuewumi has adjourned till July 24, as return date.

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