A court in Abuja on Monday let Nigeria’s former oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, change her legal challenge against the seizure of her properties by anti-graft agency EFCC. The judge agreed after her lawyer asked to update the case details, which the EFCC didn’t oppose. Diezani now has five days to submit the revised documents, while the EFCC gets 14 days to reply. The case resumes March 17. Diezani claims the EFCC unfairly sold her assets without properly notifying her or letting her defend herself in court.
The EFCC fired back, saying the ex-minister is linked to crimes like money laundering and corruption. They argued she was given fair notice through newspaper ads and had a lawyer represent her in past forfeiture cases. The agency added that the seized properties—including luxury homes and cash—were already legally sold off. Diezani insists the courts were tricked into ordering the seizures by false information and wants the rulings canceled. She says she wasn’t served any legal papers during the original cases.
This legal battle is one of many for Diezani, who fled Nigeria after her tenure as oil minister (2010–2015). The EFCC claims she stole billions in oil money, though she denies this. Separately, she’s suing the agency for ₦100 billion, accusing it of smearing her reputation. The ex-minister, believed to be in the UK, faces multiple corruption probes but calls the charges politically motivated. The EFCC’s auction of her seized assets began last year, including cars, houses, and jewelry.