The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has firmly opposed claims by former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke that her recent acquittal by a UK court should influence ongoing forfeiture orders related to her assets in Nigeria. The commission presented its counter-arguments in a Federal High Court in Abuja, insisting that the UK proceedings are irrelevant to the Nigerian legal context.

Alison-Madueke, who was acquitted of bribery and corruption charges by the Southwark Crown Court in London, sought to submit this judgment as evidence in her case against the EFCC. However, the EFCC contended that the acquittal does not alter the status of the forfeiture orders, which were issued by Nigerian courts in 2019. The commission emphasized that the UK proceedings are separate from the Nigerian legal actions and do not affect the validity of the forfeiture orders.

In its counter-affidavit, the EFCC stated, "The proceedings before the Southwark Crown Court, London, United Kingdom, and the purported acquittal of the applicant therein, are in respect of a proceeding that is not being prosecuted before any Nigerian court and have nothing to do with the substantive suit before this honourable court." This assertion was made in response to Alison-Madueke's application seeking to retrieve properties she claims were sold without her consent.

The EFCC highlighted that the disputed assets were sold following final forfeiture orders issued by Justice C.A. Obiozor on July 9, 2019, and Justice I.N. Oweibo on September 10, 2019. The commission noted that public notices had been published, allowing interested parties to contest the forfeiture before these final orders were established.

In her legal challenge, Alison-Madueke argues that the EFCC acted without proper legal grounds, alleging that the forfeiture orders were obtained through misrepresentation and lack of proper disclosure. She claims that she has been outside Nigeria since 2015 for medical treatment and was not properly informed about the court proceedings regarding her assets.

Additionally, she contends that she has not been convicted of any crime that would justify the forfeiture of her properties and asserts that the courts did not have the jurisdiction to issue the orders without hearing her side of the case. The former minister also raised concerns about the civil standard of proof being applied in the forfeiture proceedings, arguing that it was inappropriate given the circumstances.

The EFCC has indicated that investigations into Alison-Madueke's conduct as a public servant have led to criminal charges in Nigerian courts, including cases numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/208/2018 and HC/ADYL/56C/2017. The court, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, has scheduled the next hearing for November 11, where further applications related to the case will be discussed.