A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, postponed the hearing of a suit filed by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, challenging the orders obtained by the EFCC for final forfeiture of her seized assets.

The matter, which was scheduled on number 15 on the cause list, could not proceed due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The court subsequently fixed Dec. 7 for hearing of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/23.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on June 21, fixed today for hearing of the case after the lawyer who appeared for Alison-Madueke, Mr Benson Igbanoi, and EFCC’s counsel, M.D. Baraya, regularised their processes in the suit.

NAN reports that the anti-corruption agency had planned to conduct public sale of all the assets seized for being proceeds of crime as ordered by courts to be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government

The auctioning exercise, conducted on the seized assets believed to include Diezani’s property, started on Jan. 9.

The immediate-past chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had revealed that $153 million and over 80 property had been recovered from Alison-Madueke.

She was alleged to have escaped to the United Kingdom (UK) and remained there after her exit from public office as the petroleum minister, an office she held between 2010 and 2015 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.dismissdismiss her application.

Mr Zaki, who was a member of the team that investigated a case of criminal conspiracy, official corruption and money laundering against the ex-minister and some other persons involved in the case, said investigation had clearly shown that she was involved in some acts of criminality.