Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum, has been granted permission by a Federal High Court in Abuja to amend her lawsuit.

This lawsuit challenges the final forfeiture order of her assets, which was issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court’s decision came on Monday after Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Inyinbor, filed a motion to amend her suit.

EFCC’s lawyer, Divine Oguru, did not object to the request. Justice Inyang Ekwo, who heard the case, allowed the amendment, giving Diezani five days to file and serve the updated documents.

The EFCC has 14 days to respond to the amended motion. The next hearing has been set for March 17, 2025.

Diezani had initially filed the lawsuit against the EFCC, asking the court to cancel a public notice issued by the agency regarding the sale of her assets.

She argued that the final forfeiture orders were made without her being properly informed or given a fair chance to defend herself. She claimed that the orders violated her constitutional rights, including the right to a fair hearing.

In her application, Diezani said that the courts had been misled into issuing the forfeiture orders based on incorrect information, and that she had not been properly served with court documents.

She argued that these actions should be set aside because they were made without considering her rights.

The EFCC, however, opposed the motion. The agency’s lawyer, Rufai Zaki, argued that Diezani was involved in criminal activities and that the courts had already ruled on the forfeiture of her assets in previous cases.

The EFCC also pointed out that the sale of these assets, which include properties linked to Diezani, began in January 2023 as part of the final forfeiture process.

Diezani, who served as the Minister of Petroleum from 2010 to 2015, is currently facing multiple corruption charges.

She has been living in the United Kingdom since leaving office and is also seeking compensation from the EFCC for alleged defamation.