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Patience Jonathan tells court frozen account belongs to her

By Adelowo Adebumiti
10 September 2016   |   10:20 am
Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is claiming ownership of the $31.4 million involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Patience Jonathan

Patience Jonathan

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is claiming ownership of the $31.4 million involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Counsel to the first defendant in charge, with case number FHC/337C/16, Mr. Gboyega Oduwole, informed the court that Mrs. Jonathan filed a fundamental application against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming ownership of the money.

The EFCC had taken former presidential aide, Amajuoyi Azubike Briggs, former Skye Bank official, Damola Bolodeoku, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited to court in an alleged $31.4 million fraud involving the companies without addresses.

Others also charged include Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited and Globus Integrated Services Limited.

According to an application filed on September 6, this year, with file number FHC/L/C5/1233/16, Mrs. Jonathan is asking the court to make an order for the enforcement of her fundamental rights, in terms of reliefs she sought, and naming as defendants, the EFCC and Skye Bank Plc.

The former first lady asked the court to make a declaration that the fund standing to the credit of four of the companies and an account in her own name in Skye Bank belonged to her.

She also asked the court to declare that the action of the respondents in placing a No Debit/Freezing Order on the said accounts without any order of a competent court of law or prior notice to her, to be in breach of her fundamental rights as contained in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

91 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    We are talking about thirty-one million dollars. What is this woman’s source of income or did she win a lottery?

  • Author’s gravatar

    I am an Igbo guy. ?. Stop generalizing- what is bad is bad and Patience needs to explain not only the source of the $31.4 million, but how much tax she paid on it. When the US fought La Cosa Nostra, if they couldn’t get them on grand larceny, murder, drug trafficking etc. charges, they took them down on tax evasion. The IRS is a strong ‘anti-corruption’ agency (reason why Donald Trump does not want to release his taxes) and our FIRS and State equivalents should wake up.

    • Author’s gravatar

      I so much respect your line of thinking. Could not help but drop this message. More like you needed in Nigeria

    • Author’s gravatar
    • Author’s gravatar

      Hey, I don’t make any excuses for any these overlooked transactions by foreign banks. If an ehanced due diligence was properly conducted by all the associated banks on all entities involved in this ridiculous transactions, they wouldn’t have been onboarded in the first place. These clients would have long been exited by the banks before the transactions were taken on board. All affected banks should be heavily fined by OFAC, FCA or appropriate regulatory bodies in the various jurisdictions the crime was committed. Tax avoidance is not a crime but evasion is. Patience and all who were involved should face the law.

    • Author’s gravatar

      @Straightspoken…..totally agree with you that madam gej need to explain the source of the money she claims as hers…….how “stupid”can ahe be.. trying to be the Nigerian Hillary Clinton on what….Hillary has Obama, the Jusice dept and FBI covering for her…….madam gej is not too big to jail oooo…..this is 9ja and Buhari is in power. I wonder what kind of lawyers she has that allowed her to expose her husband in this manner. It is indeed tru that commonsense is not common.

      On Donald Trump…..he has not released his tax returns because the IRS is auditing it. A yearly routine.

      • Author’s gravatar

        Please, please, please don’t ever compare the case of Hillary Clinton to that of Madam Patience Jonathan. Mrs Clinton did not steal a dollar of public money. Her offence was using a private email server to send official documents while she was US Secretary of State. Here, Madam Patience is claiming ownership of $31.4 million in one obscure bank account and on just a property project. You can multiply that by over a factor of 100 for her total worth for projects in the Garden City, Abuja, Dubai, London, USA as well as in the Swiss banks. She is self righteous and bold about all these because she considered it’s her money, for the period that she and her husband OWNED Nigeria. No wonder that this country is now broke.

      • Author’s gravatar

        Chisom, with you on everything apart from in anyway supporting Donald Trump. Look, there is freedom to vote/ support whoever you like, but as bad as Hillary Clinton is perceived, do not firstly believe she is corrupt or being protected (not the America I know, so do not immerse myself in right wing propaganda) or that Donald Trump is even a plausible choice for ANY minorities. If, as your name suggests, you are African-American or a diaspora Nigerian, then you must beware of false prophets and con men – in Germany before the Anschluss (‘helping’ Austria) there were misguided Jews in both Germany and Austria who supported Adolf Hitler.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Agreed Bros..sentiment would take this Nation nowhere…and I think she’s going to have a hard time explaining the source of the money… I just fear her decision to challenge the EFCC in court is not out of her brute overconfidence rather than reason.

    • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    If the story is True, Let her go in and even the husband should go in for it for ignoring crime Simple.

  • Author’s gravatar

    For God sake where has Madam Goodluck got all this money ,the question we must ask are the following , WHEN, did she start bisuness, WHERE did she get this MONIES from. The simple truth is , this woman is part of those, even a major actor who shortchanged Nigerian masses. In my own opinion , the truth must not be subverted, there must be proper inquiry into the source of this intimidating MONIES ,God bless Nigeria.

  • Author’s gravatar

    CLEAN AND DIRECT TOKUMBO 2009 TOYOTA VENZA GOING OUT FOR SALE AT N1, 000, 000 CONTACT CUSTOM MRS PRINCESS CHIBUEZE ON 07037464445 FOR HOME DELIVERY OR VISITATION TO THE WARE HOUSE, THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE YOU CAN AS WELL CALL TO MAKE YOUR CHOICE THANKS FOR YOUR PATRONAGE

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mama Peace, can you please loan/dash Bayelsa State part of the money so they can pay workers salaries? God loves a cheerful giver.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Your hatred for anything niger delta will not make you one. Other First Ladies and their husband ve being stealing our commonwealth no body called them name . Just common thirty something thousand Abi na million dollars you now went to kill her.

  • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    let the tribal jingoists open up their mouths to tell us where she got such an amount from. the sleaze perpetuated during the last administration befuddles the mind; this is just a tip of the iceberg. time will tell

  • Author’s gravatar

    Madam Patience, please in the interest of peace and of everything that you hold dear, forget this money. i am sure there is more hiding elsewhere, dont open a can of worms. the immunity granted GEJ from prosecution will not cover you. theres hunger in the land, there is famine in the land and you stole $31m alone in an account. Deres God O! don’t drag your husband into this mess

  • Author’s gravatar

    This woman is so unintelligent, you have a corruption case in an economic recession and you come out to claim ownership of funds whose source you cannot explain. Chai! $31.4m, that is about N13billion. Chai that is too much stealing na aaa

  • Author’s gravatar

    WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WOMAN PATIENCE JONATHAN IS THE KINGPIN AND GODMOTHER OF ALL MASSIVE LOOTERS AND THIEVES. SHE MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER. END OF STORY

  • Author’s gravatar

    Even a donkey knows, the safest harbor to invest money is Germany.
    No Lebanon, no Emirates, no Singapore, no UK / US, and certainly not Skye Bank.

  • Author’s gravatar

    if greed knows no limits…

  • Author’s gravatar

    Where on this earth could Mrs Jonathan have got $31.4 Million USD legitimately.
    She should be able to show Tax component of that money if she earned it, otherwise, the money should be regarded as proceeds from crime & seized for our common good, if the source can not be ascertained. No one has a right to steal our commonwealth.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Don’t seize too quickly. Follow the paper trail to conclude. The fear is this matter of Registered Companies without addresses.

      • Author’s gravatar

        Seizing this loot will not destroy evidence of where it come from or trail to further loots.
        No one has a right to steal our commonwealth.

        • Author’s gravatar

          You can’t arbitrarily seize like that. The Courts must examine and determine whose money that is. You cannot have the authorities go to your Bank and seize your money because they have access and power. A reason for confiscating must be established.

          • Author’s gravatar

            EFCC process is not arbitrary, it is covered by law. Nigeria will be better for it, if they are allowed to do their Job.

          • Author’s gravatar

            You do not understand. Why then do some of the EFCC’s processes reversed by the Courts of Law. When you seize without the Law Courts examining and approving, that’s arbitrary. EFCC can prosecute but the Law Courts hold the line in seizures.

          • Author’s gravatar

            You don’t understand. EFCC is run by people. Nigerian Court is not the best in the World.
            EFCC has recorded more convictions than Police, ICPC, CCB, NPLA & SSS combined since it was set up.
            They are not perfect, Nigeria would have been a better place, if every one is performing their duties at the level of EFCC.
            EFCC have always sized properties or frieze bank Account with Court warrant/order.

          • Author’s gravatar

            You are still running all over the place. I am not saying EFCC is not doing a good job. I am saying they have to be mindful of the confines of the Law of the Land. You cannot seize people’s property on suspicion alone. Dig that!

          • Author’s gravatar

            Nigeria is too corrupt, where I am made to pay 10time cost of C of O for my family land. Pay Police to travel on the road. Public servants & Officers are no better than PEN Robbers.
            EFCC is doing a good Job. They are not perfect. They are better than most.

          • Author’s gravatar

            It is wrong for them to demand and even more wrong for you to pay. Corruption like in accounting has debit and credit entries. We are all hemmed in when it is demanded and paid. You have your C of O credit, your ’10time’ gauge debit – the agony of our system one is wont to say.

          • Author’s gravatar

            I have nothing to say to you when you blame victims of corruption in Nigeria as if they were given a choice.
            EFCC is doing a good job.

          • Author’s gravatar

            Don’t be timid, my man, have it out with them refuse vehemently, and sue.

          • Author’s gravatar

            You are the one timid, ignorant & corrupt minded.
            Most Nigerians are not as lucky as me. EFCC is doing a good Job. Stop blaming them.

          • Author’s gravatar

            I did not say for the last time, that they are not doing a good job. What I am saying is that their good job has legal boundaries to observe. Do not reply, please.

          • Author’s gravatar

            You called me timid, confused & all over the place. You see nothing wrong with looting of our commonwealth & concerned about the way EFCC do their job.
            What do you know about legal boundaries?. Nigeria will be a better place without morons like you.

          • Author’s gravatar

            There is everything wrong with the misapplication, embezzlement and outright stealing of public resources. Where I am disagreeing with you is the recovery of the already stolen, embezzled and the misapplied bunch. That the recovering hounds should toe the Law line in their approach. They should not act solely on suspicion and arbitrarily seize to avoid painting the innocents with the same brush. Can you tell the reasoning world something moronic about that?

          • Author’s gravatar

            This topic is about looting & prosecuting looters.
            Not about EFCC working procedure or accounting for recovered. Those of you who don’t know any better & confused are the first to call names.
            Please allow EFCC to do their Job. Accounting for the recovered loots should be addressed at the right time, not to deride EFCC and their good work..

          • Author’s gravatar

            Yes! About looting without the loots themselves and about the people charged with investigating right or the Laws covering all?

          • Author’s gravatar

            We all know that every one is presumed innocent until found guilty by a Court of competent jurisdiction. EFCC is not a Court, they are doing a good Job. Don’t call me names.
            Don’t deride EFCC & allow them to do their Job.
            Reserve your comment about EFCC’s procedure & accounting for recovered loot for that subject matter. This article is about looters.

          • Author’s gravatar

            I think you are confused!

          • Author’s gravatar

            Mazi JO, you must be igbo hence the sordid reasoning inside of u. 90%(including you and of course am in the 10% exemplary igbo man) of my tribe are a let down to anything called tribe. you put hate before anything you engage in. it doesn’t matter to you if the right steps are being all u target is negatives of the situation! your type are enemies to their unborn generations! you dont think the future and wht must be done to better the lives tht the generation of now will leave behind! you are selfish even to your own generations to come shame!

          • Author’s gravatar

            Only if you notice the railings of the stubborn tribal hacks in this media on the IGBO. Your distribution of blue blood ‘igbo’ refers. You’re “in the 10% exemplary igbo man”. Can you put a structure in your writing and editing in this argument, please. Do not get over your head in petulance. I refer you to my commentaries. Read them studiously.

    • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    Please how did Mama make this money.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Chai, where, when and how did she come about this money. Before, during or after being first lady?

  • Author’s gravatar

    America’s economy is more than 100 times bigger than the Nigerian economy yet President Obama and wife together are not worth as much as Patience Jonathan alone. This is the irony of the black African (or maybe Nigerian). She wont even show some remorse by keeping quite about it. How can she explain companies without addresses? That alone signposts fraudulent ownership. Pls she should be compelled to produce her tax receipts for the last six years since someone is claiming she has always been a business person. Let the truth begin to unfold.

  • Author’s gravatar

    But let me askoo!! Now that they know who owns the money, why is the EFCC not arresting her and investigating the source of income? Why is it only Jonathan’s cousin and the bank directors they can arrest and intimidate? As far I as I am concerned, Mrs Jonathan no longer enjoys any immunity (assuming she enjoyed this at anytime) and for this reason they should arrest her immediately. For those who can not make sensible contributions on this forum without resorting to very stupid tribal sentiments, I would seriously advice that you leave the forum. Guardian, you should begin to explore ways and methods of filtering and deleting rude commentaries and profiles of their initiators. This stereotyping I have noticed is from the same people.

  • Author’s gravatar

    She’s even bold to claim the loot!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Well that is easy. If she claims that’s her cash, she should not have difficulties detailing how she transparently and properly earned it. That is process. That’s the Law.

  • Author’s gravatar

    what is going on in this nation, how does she make such great amount of money. let her open up to Nigerians her source of income.That is bad?

  • Author’s gravatar

    AND WHAT OF THE OIL BUNKERRING VESSEL MV PATAIENCE OWNED BY PATIENCE
    JONATHAN? WHAT OF THE 500 MILLION DOLLAR FARM IN ABUJA ESTABLISHED IN
    2010 OWNED BY GOODLUCK JONATHAN? WHAT OF THE 15 BEEDROOM MANSION VALUED
    AT 17 MILLION BRITISH POUNDS IN WEYBRIDGE WEST LONDON IN THE UINITED
    KINGDOM AND OTHER CHOICE PROPERTIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE USA,
    SOUTH AFRICA, ETC. OWNED BY GOODLUCK JONATHAN? THE LISTS GO ON AND ON.
    THESE LOOTERS AND THIEVES MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR
    LOOTS AND BY EXTENTION MURDER.

  • Author’s gravatar

    hahaha !! EFCC should ask FBI for help or training on how to properly catch corrupt politicians with offshore companies/ hidden identification in money laundering.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Patience Jonathan will end up in PRISON. She actually said it with her own mouth during the campaigns. If Bayelsa indigenes don’t ask questions the little respect remaining for this funny people will disappear.

    This is 31 million dollars which is one of Peshe ‘s accounts. 31 x 400 = N12.4 billion. This will clear all salary arrears owed by the government.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Just ask her one single question; Madam how much of tax have you paid on this money of yours?

  • Author’s gravatar

    And this is a woman who called somebody brain dead. she is so unintelligent that she thinks claiming the amount as a former first lady will legitimatize it. but more to the question where did she get it? I had earlier said that the attrition of time will reveal how we were robbed blind and left pitifully indigent. 31.4 million dollars? by Jove! the Obama’s are planning for their retirement by January 2017 and they just bought a house worth 6 million dollars which they plan to live in after retirement. As a law professor, author and US president the house he could afford is worth just 6 million dollars; here a former first lady is claiming 31 million dollars from just one account. who knows how much is in the other accounts. there is God ooooo!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Lok no further for the causes of Nigeria’s present economic woes.

  • Author’s gravatar

    THEN WHAT OF THE OIL BUNKERRING VESSEL MV PATAIENCE OWNED BY PATIENCE
    JONATHAN? WHAT OF THE 500 MILLION DOLLAR FARM IN ABUJA ESTABLISHED IN
    2010 OWNED BY GOODLUCK JONATHAN? WHAT OF THE 15 BEEDROOM MANSION VALUED
    AT 17MILLION BRITISH POUNDS IN WEYBRIDGE WEST LONDON IN THE UINITED
    KINGDOM AND OTHER CHOICE PROPERTIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE USA,
    SOUTH AFRICA, ETC. OWNED BY GOODLUCK JONATHAN? THE LISTS GO ON AND ON.
    THESE LOOTERS AND THIEVES MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR
    LOOTS AND BY EXTENTION MURDER

  • Author’s gravatar

    Before a honest and genuine company can open a current account or a Domiciliary Account the Banks will ask for registration Certificate or Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum Listing the names of the Directors Share holding sructure etc etc.But when a thief in High Office wants to steal the Banks will come up with what they call (Waiver ) and before or within 24hrs Account is opened and millions of Dollars or Billions of Niara is transfered into the Acct ,Thanks to BVN that has exposed this wicked thieves. GOD will deliver Nigeria from their inhumanity. Amen

  • Author’s gravatar

    We are interested to know the source of those funds .She was one of the problems of President Jonathan , she relegated him to the President of Ijaws from the President of Nigeria.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Gentlemen and ladies.THIS MATTER IS IN COURT. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE COMMENTING

  • Author’s gravatar

    EFCC PLEASE ARREST THE MAIN VERY MASSIVE LOOTER AND THIEIF PATIENCE JONATHAN AND STOP DANCING AROUND.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Corruption has killed this country called Nigeria.

  • Author’s gravatar

    YET SOME VERY FEW IDIOTS ARE HAILING HER. PATIENCE JONATHAN IS JUST WHAT SHE IS A VERY HARDENED AND HABITUAL CRIMINAL AND SHE MUST END THE REMAINING OF HER VERY WRETCHED LIFE IN PRISON DOING VERY HARD LABOUR. END OF STORY!
    PATIENCE JONATHAN AND GOODLUCK JONATHAN TOLD US THAT THEY WERE SHOELESS AND VERY BROKE BEFORE THEY WENT INTO THE PLACEBO AND PRETENT POLITICS, SO HOW DID SHE COME ABOUT THIS VERY OBSCENE AND VERY MASSIVE WEALTH? THE WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND ARE VERY MASSIVE LOOTERS AND THIEVES PERIOD!