The absence of counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), and the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in court yesterday stalled the money laundering trial.
Recall that a Federal High Court, Abuja, had fixed today, Nov. 3, for the EFCC to give a report on its effort at extraditing Alison-Madueke to the country to stand her trial, and for possible mention of the case.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu was the presiding judge in the matter; however, the case was reassigned to Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, following the transfer of Ojukwu to the Calabar division of the court.
Although the suit was on number 9 on yesterday’s cause list, neither the EFCC lawyer nor Mrs. Alison-Madueke was in court. When the matter was called, the court registrar said: “No counsel in court my lord.”.
This was the first time the case came up before Justice Olajuwon, who then adjourned the matter until Jan. 24, 2022, for report of mention.
The EFCC had accused the former minister of fleeing the country for the UK in order to escape justice, among others.
Recall that the EFCC Chairman, AbdulRasheed Bawa, in the April edition of the agency’s in-house magazine, disclosed that the anti-corruption commission recovered 153 million dollars from Alison-Madueke.
Bawa said the agency also recovered the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $80 million from the former minister, who has been living in the UK since leaving office some years ago.
The EFCC boss said he would want the former minister to face trial in Nigeria.
