On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja approved a request by Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum, to submit documents confirming her acquittal by a London court. Justice Inyang Ekwo presided over the hearing.
Diezani’s legal representative, Godwin Iyinbor, moved the motion, which faced no formal opposition from Mofesomo Oyetibo, the lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Southwark Crown Court in the UK had previously cleared the former minister of bribery charges on June 17.
The current legal proceedings involve Diezani’s attempt to recover assets that were previously forfeited. In her amended motion, she named the EFCC as the only respondent. During the session, Iyinbor explained that the motion was necessary to introduce the acquittal as a material development in the case.
While EFCC counsel Oyetibo initially remarked that the filing could be viewed as a time-consuming measure, he confirmed the commission would not contest the motion. Consequently, Justice Ekwo allowed the application and scheduled the next hearing for October 6. On that date, the court intends to address both the preliminary objection and the primary lawsuit simultaneously.
