Patience Jonathan files $200 million suit against EFCC
Patience Jonathan
Wants four accounts unsealed
Former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Ibifaka Jonathan, yesterday instituted a $200 million suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
This followed an admission of money laundering by four firms, which she claims the anti-graft agency had used to inconvenience and embarrass her.
Mentioned as defendants in the action are Skye Bank, Waripama-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa, former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to her husband and erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Transocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited.
No date has, however, been fixed for hearing.
In an affidavit in support of the originating summon sworn to by a legal practitioner, Sammie Somiari, and filed before the court by a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Granville Abibo (SAN), the deponent averred that Mrs. Jonathan, on March 22, 2010 with the assistance of officials of the bank, Mr. Damola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, validly opened five different accounts with the financial institution.
But surprisingly, Mrs. Jonathan discovered that apart from one of the accounts that bore her name, the rest four carried names of four companies belonging Dudafa.
She also reportedly observed that the ATM cards of the said accounts were issued in the names of the companies, a development that allegedly necessitated her contacting Dudafa who purportedly promised to effect the necessary changes through the concerned bank official, Oshodi.
Somiari also claimed that Mrs. Jonathan was not a director, shareholder or participant in the companies, maintaining that the funds in the said accounts were entirely hers.
The defiance notwithstanding, the deponent added that Mrs. Jonathan kept using the cards until sometimes in July this year when she discovered that the facilities were no longer functioning and had to contact her account officer who instructed she lodges formal complaint for the bank to lift the freezing order placed on them.
On enquiry, the deponent said she was informed that the accounts had been frozen on the directive of EFCC following investigation of Dudafa.
Mrs. Jonathan contended that she was neither arrested nor invited by the anti-graft agency prior to the embargo and that several appeals to have the order reversed fell on deaf ears.
She argued that the action by the bank without an order of the court was unlawful.
Therefore, apart from her demand for $200 million as damages, she is also urging the court not only to declare that the no debit and freezing order is unlawful but to issue an order discharging it and restraining the EFCC and its agent from further or subsequently placing a no debit/freezing order on the said accounts.
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15 Comments
What kind of a desperado woman is this?has she lost her mind?insult the collective intelligence of Nigerians by claiming $20m dollars belong to her and even sue the EFCC! i now believe the say which goes “who God wants to destroy he first makes mad” she is certainly acting like a mad woman. An account was opened fraudulently and your name is not in the account and you claim ownership to the funds.
To be honest, one is flabbergasted by this woman’s behavioral pattern, mindset, and actions. Chei.
P34c3
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You have eyes, but cannot see, ears, cannot hear, read without comprehending. If EFCC has a case against her, why not prosecute her. What’s with subterfuge?
simple. John Kerry and Thabo Mbeki come in just before the elections even when the signs were crystal clear that her husband was going to lose the elections.
The deal that was cut with Buhari was that he leaves Jonathan alone…….this informed the famous phone call.
Any person able to think rationally would know that it is inconceivable that Jonathan has not been fingered what with the caliber of those being arrested and the revelations of the humongous sums they stole . His merely is coasting on the grace of the deal made for the benefit of the collective.
That is the reason why months back some of his aides threatened to spill the beans .
The woman merely seeks to take advantage of this deal and her greed is going to be her undoing
The EFCC has a case against the money in her account. $20 million dollars! Phew! If she can not obey the rule of law not to steal that there is no reason why the Efcc should bother going to court to seize it. It’s not her money, she stole it! She should not be allowed to spend a single kobo out of it again.
Can you read? Or you just conclude in your mind? If Efcc believe is a stolen money they should prosecute her not trying to play fast game.
@Godwillhelp do you really understand how much $20m (N8bn) is and what it takes to legitimately earn that amount?
How is it impossible for someone of her status to earn $20m and why can’t efcc accept her challenge and meet her in court? You can’t establish a sustainable system by going outside of the law all the time. There’s no worse corruption than that.
it is a strategy attack is the best form of defence by suing in court she cant be invited as the case is now in court wise move by the lawyers
Nope. If efcc wantsed to prosecute her they can do it. It’s just that the Buhari govt has no interest in jailing a former president and his family…they guy that will succeed Buhari might be tempted to jail Buhari
BUT SHE CLAIMS THE FUNDS ARE HERS….WHERE AND HOW DID SHE GOT SUCH HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY? NIGERIANS WANT TO KNOW……. I RECOMMEND EFCC TO ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF NIGERIANS…
nai dey fall come so ‘cos d $31M no do you
The audacity of a thief can at times go beyond comprehension. Can’t this woman be advised? How can she open 5 accounts in one day without knowing names of the entities used in opening the accounts? After discovering that 4 of the ATM cards were issued in the names of companies she has no links with, she continued using the cards for 6 years (2010 to 2016) without any concerns. Does that not qualify as stealing from those company accounts? It is either I have lost my sense of logic, or someone is seriously insane by bringing this type of matter to court.
what a thief! she-mongus thief!
She couldn’t contact her account manager when she was issued cards in 5 different names yet she could when account got frozen. What an idiot.
We will review and take appropriate action.