Court orders forfeiture of N7.64bn Diezani’ loot in Sterling Bank to FG

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the interim forfeiture of the sum of N7,646,700,000 said to have been kept in Sterling Bank Plc by former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told Justice Chuka Obiozor-led court via an ex parte application that the N7.6 billion was part of the sum of $153,310,000 which was alleged to have been siphoned from the coffers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation sometime in 2014 byDiezani.
EFCC also alleged that the former Petroleum Minister stashed the money in three Nigerian banks.
The Federal Government had since February 2016, through an order granted by another judge, Justice Muslim Hassan also of the Federal High Court, taken possession of part of the money from the other banks.
The anti-graft agency told the court that the Federal Government had recovered N23.4 billion, $5 million and another N9.08 billion out of the $153.3 million.
It, therefore, prayed the court to order Sterling Bank to deliver up to the Federal Government the N7.6bn still in its custody without further delay.