Court Orders Permanent Forfeiture Of $8.4m, N9.2bn Linked To Patience Jonathan

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the final
forfeiture of the $8.4 million and N7.4 billion found in accounts
linked to a former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sought a
final forfeiture of the sums found in various accounts linked to
the former first lady.

The anti-graft agency had secured an interim order for
forefeture of the sums on April 20, 2018, before Justice Mojisola
Olatoregun, following a motion exparte.

Joined in the suit as respondents are Patience Jonathan, Globus
Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd, Am-Pm Global
Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd, Magel Resort Ltd and Esther
Oba, younger sister to Mrs Jonathan.

The EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had on October 29, 2018,
moved his motion for final forfeiture of the sums to the federal
government.

Meanwhile, defence counsel, Messrs Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Chief
Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and Mr Ige Asemudara had respectively moved
processes in opposition to the motion for final forfeiture.

The court on January 15 admitted electronic evidences presented
by respondent counsel, which depicted videos showing various
business outfits of Finchley Top Homes Ltd. and Magel Resort
Ltd.

But in a judgment delivered on February 28, the court held that
it found the affidavit evidences conflicting, adding that same
could only be resolved by oral evidences of parties.

The court had consequently ordered parties to call their
witnesses to give oral evidences.

In compliance, counsel to the parties called witnesses to
testify in the suit.

The witness included: Mr Orji Chukwuma (EFCC operative), Esther
Oba, Waripamo Dudafa and Achonye Obinna, who testified for Am-Pm
Global Network, and Okwu Emmanuel, who testified for Pagmat Oil and
Gas.

The court then reserved judgment for July 1.

Delivering judgment, Justice Olatoregun highlighted all
arguments, counter arguments and submissions of counsel as well as
the facts deposed to in the affidavits, counter affidavits and
further affidavits.

The court held that it did not find the video evidences tendered
by the respondent relevant to the facts as narrowed down by the
applicant.

“I have no doubts that these monies are proceeds of unlawful
activities,” the judge stated.

Olatoregun said there were no evidences to show why the sums
were paid into the said accounts, adding that it was the duty of
the respondent to relate the document to the sums of money.

“I am satisfied that the respective sums are liable to be
forfeited to the federal government, the respondent having failed
to show cause,” the judge said.

She ordered that the sums be paid into the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) as well as the federal government’s account.

The court further ordered the commission to file an affidavit of
compliance within 14 days. (NAN)

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