The battle to block former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, from accessing multi-billion naira alleged loot linked to her, has been laid to rest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Federal High Court, in Lagos, today.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun struck out the suit seeking to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the sum of $5, 316. 66 USD, domiciled in Skye Bank Plc, and linked to the former First Lady and six others.
The court struck out the suit at the instance of the EFCC, which had applied for the action.
The EFCC is, however, pursuing another application on forfeiture that will be heard next week.
Other beneficiaries of today‘s ruling are five companies, which were having a total sum of N7, 418, 829, 290.94, and one Esther Oba, who is allegedly having $429, 381.87.
The companies are: Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Aribawa Arura Reachout Foundation, Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited and Mabel Resort Limited.
The monies were allegedly kept in six different commercial banks.
Justice Olatoregun, had sometime in December 2016, while granting EFCC’s exparte application filed and argued before the court by counsel to the commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, ordered that the account be frozen pending the conclusion of investigation on the money, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1342/16, between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Skye Bank Plc and the companies listed above and Esther Oba.
The judge had also ordered the EFCC to file an undertaking as to damages if it turned out that the order was not to have been made.
In urging the court to temporarily freeze the account, the EFCC through one of its investigators, Mr. Abdulahi Tukura, in an affidavit, told the court the former first lady used different companies and individual to acquire the money.
In the said affidavit, Tukura, had averred that Dame Patience Jonathan’s money in Skye bank account number
2110001712 with current balance of
$5, 842, 316. 66, is reasonably suspected to be proceed of crime.
He stated that all the companies mentioned in the suit have their accounts in four commercial banks, where the monies were kept.
Tukura had stated in the affidavit that upon the receipt of intelligence report on the accounts, his commission analyzed it and found it to be worthy of investigation. He, therefore, averred that it would serve the course of Justice to grant this application.
At the resumed hearing of the matter today, lawyer to other respondents, except Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Ige Asemudara, told the court that he was duly informed by the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Mohammed idris, who was equally in court, that, the anti-graft agency had signified to discontinue the suit, by filing a notice of discontinuance.
Asemudara therefore urged the court to strike out the suit.
Asemudara’s application was granted, and Justice Olatoregun consequently struck out the suit.