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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • New judge to hear Patience Jonathan’s suit against EFCC

    A new judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, has taken over a suit filed by former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan challenging a “no-debit-order” placed on her account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    It followed the elevation of Justice Mohammed Idris to the Court of Appeal.

    Justice Aneke on Wednesday adjourned until May 22.

    The EFCC, Skye Bank Plc (now Polaris Bank) and three companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd are the respondents.

    Mrs Jonathan, in the suit filed in 2016, is demanding N200 million damages.

    She is urging the court to compel the EFCC to immediately remove the “no debit order” placed on her accounts with $9.8 million.

    The plaintiff’s counsel Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) said there was an amendment to the suit to reflect the change in the bank’s name.

    An aide, Sammie Somiari, deposed to a supporting affidavit on behalf of the former first lady.

    The deponent said a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, helped Mrs Jonathan to open the banks accounts.

    Somiari said Mrs Jonathan is the sole signatory to the accounts, adding that after five accounts were opened for, she discovered that Dudafa opened only one in her name while the others were in the companies’.

    The deponent said Mrs Jonathan continued to operate the accounts with debit cards until EFCC placed the “no-deposit order”.

    But, in its defence, EFCC said Mrs Jonathan does not run any business from which she could have earned such huge sums, being the wife of the former president, a civil servant and a retired Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State.

    “Investigation conducted by the first defendant (EFCC) revealed that the plaintiff is not the owner of the funds in the accounts of the third to fifth defendants (companies), which funds were discovered to be proceeds of fraudulent activities of Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa,” EFCC said.

    The commission said between 2013 and 2015, “huge sums of money were stolen from the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agencies.”

    The agencies, it said, included the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA

  • No Debit Order: Court fixes May 22 to hear suit filed by Patience Jonathan

    A Federal High Court Lagos on Wednesday, fixed May 22, for further mention of a suit filed by former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, challenging a “No Debit Order” placed on her accounts.

    Patience had filed the suit in 2016, to challenge the order’ placed on four Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank Ltd) accounts harbouring a total of 9.8 million dollars.

    Joined as defendants in the suit are: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Polaris Bank Ltd, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd.

    The plaintif is seeking a declaration that she is the owner of the funds in the accounts opened in the names of the third, fourth and fifth defendants, and so, entitled to access to the funds for her use and benefit.

    When the case was called on Wednesday, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) announced appearance for the Plaintiff.

    On the other hand, Messrs Mohammed Idris, Abayomi Arole, and Chimaobi Onuigbo announced appearances for the second, third and fourth defendants respectively.

    There was no representation for the fifth defendant.

    Read Also: Patience Jonathan’s $5.7m, N2.4b forfeiture case adjourned

    Adedipe then informed the court that the case which was first before his brother judge, Justice Mohammed Idris (who has been elevated to the Court of Appeal) was for mention.

    He said that the matter was coming up before Aneke for the first time, and will be commencing afresh.

    According to him, plaintiff had to amend her statement of claim to correctly reflect the name of Skye bank as now Polaris Bank, adding that the change in nomenclature necessitated the amendment.

    Other counsel confirmed the position to the court, adding that their respective amended processes will also be filed and served.

    Consequently, Justice Aneke adjourned the case until May 22, for further mention.

    Jonathan is seeking an order, restraining the EFCC or any other person, from preventing the plaintiff access to the said funds contained in the third to fifth defendant’s account with Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank)

    Plaintiff is also seeking an order, discharging the “No Debit’Freezing Order” placed on the accounts of the third to fifth defendants.

    She seeks an order, directing Polaris Bank to release forthwith, the sum of 9.8 million dollars standing to the credit of the plaintiff, as at March 29, 2016, or any such other funds in the account.

  • Patience Jonathan’s $5.7m, N2.4b forfeiture case adjourned

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered parties file affidavits on what transpired at the appellate courts in a forfeiture case initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against ex-First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, on April 26, 2017, ordered the temporary forfeiture of $5.7million and N2,421,953,522.78 allegedly belonging to Mrs Jonathan.

    She made the order based on an ex-parte application by EFCC.

    The N2.4billion was found in an Ecobank Nigeria Ltd account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd, the commission said.

    Following the temporary forfeiture, Mrs Jonathan, through her lawyer Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), appealed.

    The Court of Appeal, last January 12, upheld the temporary forfeiture.

    Dissatisfied, Mrs Jonathan appealed to the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court, on March 15, affirmed the Court of Appeal judgment, directing the appellant to return to before Justice Olatoregun to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The Supreme Court also rejected her prayer to strike down the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which EFCC relied on in filing the application.

    Yesterday, Adedipe informed Justice Olatoregun about developments at the Supreme Court.

    The judge then directed parties to file the affidavits.

    EFCC said it found the $5.7million in an account numbered 2110001712 with Skye Bank Plc in Mrs Jonathan’s name.

    In an affidavit in support of the ex-parte originating summons, an EFCC operative, Musbahu Yahaha Abubakar, said Mrs Jonathan opened the Skye Bank account on February 7, 2013.

    “Upon the opening of the account, several huge cash deposits in dollars were made to the account.

    “One Dudafa Waripamo Owei who was the Senior Special Assistant to the former President was one of the frequent depositors in the account.

    “Another frequent cash depositor of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities into the account is one Festus Iyoha, a steward at the State House, Abuja,” the deponent said.

    The EFCC investigator said Iyoha also made deposits with fictitious names.

    Abubakar said between February 8, 2013 and January 30, 2015, the sum of $6,791,599.64 suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities was deposited into the account in cash.

    He said Mrs Jonathan had dissipated part of the funds, leaving a balance of $5,731,173.55.

    “If this fund is not forfeited in the interim, the operator of the account, Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan, will fully dissipate it,” the investigator said.

    On the N2.4billion, the operative said the commission also traced the money to the Ecobank account following suspicions that it was a proceed of crime.

    He said the “purported” signatory to the account was one Ada Ifegbu, with a telephone number belonging to one Esther Oba.

    The EFCC operative said the N2.4billion “were substantially the naira equivalent of the United States Dollars given to one Chima Nwafor John of Ecobank Nigeria Ltd by one Esther Oba at the Aso Rock Villa.”

    He said it was John who contracted bureau de change operators to convert the money to naira and deposit it to La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd’s account.

    Justice Olatoregun adjourned until May 8.

  • Patience Jonathan’s $5.7m, N2.4b forfeiture case adjourned

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered parties file affidavits on what transpired at the appellate courts in a forfeiture case initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against ex-First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, on April 26, 2017, ordered the temporary forfeiture of $5.7million and N2, 421,953,522.78 allegedly belonging to Mrs. Jonathan.

    She made the order based on an ex-parte application by EFCC.

    The N2.4billion was found in an Ecobank Nigeria Ltd account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd, the commission said.

    Following the temporary forfeiture, Mrs. Jonathan, through her lawyer Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), appealed.

    The Court of Appeal, last January 12, upheld the temporary forfeiture.

    Dissatisfied, Mrs. Jonathan appealed to the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court, on March 15, affirmed the Court of Appeal judgment, directing the appellant to return to before Justice Olatoregun to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The Supreme Court also rejected her prayer to strike down the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, which EFCC relied on in filing the application.

    On Thursday, Adedipe informed Justice Olatoregun about developments at the Supreme Court.

    The judge then directed parties to file the affidavits.

    EFCC said it found the $5.7million in an account numbered 2110001712 with Skye Bank Plc in Mrs. Jonathan’s name.

    In an affidavit in support of the ex-parte originating summons, an EFCC operative, Musbahu Yahaha Abubakar, said Mrs. Jonathan opened the Skye Bank account on February 7, 2013.

    “Upon the opening of the account, several huge cash deposits in dollars were made to the account.

    “One Dudafa Waripamo Owei who was the Senior Special Assistant to the former President was one of the frequent depositors in the account.

    “Another frequent cash depositor of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities into the account is one Festus Iyoha, a steward at the State House, Abuja,” the deponent said.

    The EFCC investigator said Iyoha also made deposits with fictitious names.

    Abubakar said between February 8, 2013 and January 30, 2015, the sum of $6,791,599.64 suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities was deposited into the account in cash.

    He said Mrs Jonathan had dissipated part of the funds, leaving a balance of $5,731,173.55.

    “If this fund is not forfeited in the interim, the operator of the account, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, will fully dissipate it,” the investigator said.

    On the N2.4billion, the operative said the commission also traced the money to the Ecobank account following suspicions that it was proceeds of crime.

    He said the “purported” signatory to the account was one Ada Ifegbu, with a telephone number belonging to one Esther Oba.

    The EFCC operative said the N2.4billion “were substantially the naira equivalent of the United States Dollars given to one Chima Nwafor John of Ecobank Nigeria Ltd by one Esther Oba at the Aso Rock Villa.”

    He said it was John who contracted bureau de change operators to convert the money to naira and deposit it to La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd’s account.

    Justice Olatoregun adjourned until May 8.

  • Again, Supreme Court upholds FG’s seizure of N2.4bn linked with Patience Jonathan

    Exactly eight days after the Supreme Court upheld Federal Government’s interim seizure of the $8.4million believed to be owned by ex-First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the apex court has again agreed to a similar forfeiture of another N2.4bn linked with Mrs. Jonathan.

    While men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the $8.4m were discovered in some accounts linked to the ex-First Lady, the N2,421,953,522.00 was said to be held in bank accounts owned by Lawari Furniture and Bath Limited, an entity in which Mrs. Jonathan allegedly has interest.

    In a judgment on Friday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court rejected the appeal by Lawari Furniture on the grounds that it was without merit. The appeal was filed and argued for the appellant by Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

    In the lead judgment written by Justice Amiru Sanusi, but read by Justice Sidi Bage the court upheld the order of interim forfeiture made by a High Court in Lagos on April 26, 2017, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Lagos in a judgment given on January 12, 2018.

    The court rejected the argument by appellant, who faulted the interim order of forfeiture obtained by the EFCC via an ex-parte motion, and prayed that it be set  aside.

    It also rejected the appellant’s prayer to void Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act and other Fraud related offences Act, on which the High Court relied in issuing the order of interim forfeiture.

    The court, in the lead judgment, noted that it rarely interferes in the concurrent findings of the two lower courts, except where there are exceptional circumstances and the findings perverse.

    It noted that, in the instant case, no such exceptional circumstances existed.

    Read Also: Supreme Court victory and cof fellowship

    In his supporting judgment, a member of the panel, Justice Ejembi Eko observed that the substance of this appeal was similar to the one decided by the court on March 8 this year (relating to the interim forfeiture of $8.4m).

    Justice Eko said both appeals ought not to be split and assigned to different panels to avoid the risk of issuing conflicting judgments.

    He found nothing wrong with the provision of Section 17 of the Money Laundering Act, which he noted, was the same as the provision in Section 29 of EFCC Act.

    Other members of the panel: Justices Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Mary Peter Odili and Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, agreed with the lead judgment.

  • EFCC, Patience Jonathan get new date in forfeiture case

    Hearing was stalled Wednesday in a forfeiture case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had adjourned for parties to give oral evidence on the source of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion allegedly belonging to Mrs. Jonathan, which EFCC is praying the court to order its final forfeiture.

    But, EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo was said to have written the court for an adjournment as he was to appear before the National Judicial Council (NJC) in another matter.

    The Council’s committees investigating petitions against suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and Acting Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad were said to have begun sitting on Monday.

    Justice Olatoregun had on February 28 declined to grant EFCC’s application for the sums’ final forfeiture but directed parties to give oral evidence to justify ownership.

    She said there were conflicting depositions in the affidavits before her, adding that oral evidence was needed to clear them up.

    Mrs. 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 are the respondents.

    Read Also: Court hears evidence on final forfeiture suit against Patience Jonathan April 12

    Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers, including Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued that the funds included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

    But, EFCC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

    The anti-graft agency said the companies were not into “any legitimate income-yielding business venture” and did not pay tax, but were incorporated for the purpose of warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities for the former First Lady.

    Justice Olatoregun fixed April 12 for hearing.

  • Court hears evidence on final forfeiture suit against Patience Jonathan April 12

    A Federal High Court Lagos, Wednesday, fixed April 12, to hear oral evidence in a suit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking final forfeiture of about 8.4 million dollars, and N7.4 billion linked to former first Lady, Patience Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had in a ruling delivered on Feb.28, on the motion for final forfeiture, held that there were conflicting affidavit evidences, which could be best resolved if respective parties were called upon to give oral evidence.

    The case was consequently, adjourned until March 13 (today) for oral evidences.

    On Wednesday, the case could not proceed as earlier scheduled , while April 12 has been fixed as return date

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had secured an interim order for forfeiture of the sums on April 20, 2018, before Olatoregun, following a motion exparte.

    It joined as respondents: Patience Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd and Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba.

    NAN reports that on Oct. 29, 2018, EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, had moved his motion for final forfeiture of the sums, urging that same be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

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

    On Jan. 15, the court had admitted electronic evidences presented by respondent counsel, which depicted video exhibits showing various business outfits of the third and sixth respondents

    The court had then adjourned for judgment.

    In a ruling on Feb.28, the judge had first dismissed an application by counsel to the respondents, seeking to set aside the interim forfeiture orders made on April 20, 2018.

    The court had held that it was satisfied that the requirement for the grant of the interim orders was met by the EFCC, adding that it was clear that at the time the interim order was made, there was no pending suit elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, giving its ratio on the motion for final forfeiture, the court held that it finds the affidavit evidences conflicting, adding that same can only be resolved, if the parties concerned were called upon to give oral evidences.

    The court had held :

    “The applicant relied on two grounds (1) That the court has the statutory power under section 17, to grant the reliefs sought and (2) That the monies are suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity or unlawful activities, diverted from the Federal Government of Nigeria,”

    The court had asked if having regards to the provisions of sections 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, as well as the available facts before the court, the applicant has made out a case for final forfeiture of the sums.

    The judge noted the various processes filed by parties to the suit which includes, affidavits, counter affidavits, further affidavits, reply affidavits written addresses, as well as exhibits .

    The court had then held :

    “I have examined the issues raised on both sides and i came to the conclusion after exhaustively going through the affidavits filed by parties, and i found the affidavits conflicting on material facts.

    “I believe in the circumstance, that the court cannot rely on its own opinion alone; the conflict must only be determined or resolved by the evidences of parties themselves, particularly as it relates to the source of the funds.

    “I believe parties should be heard and cross examined on this issue.

    “Parties are accordingly called upon to give oral testimonies in support of the case presented, ” The court had held.

  • Supreme Court upholds FG’s seizure of ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan’s  $8.4m

    The Supreme Court has upheld the order of temporary forfeiture made by a Federal High Court in Lagos in respect of the $8.4million traced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

    In a judgment yesterday, a five-man panel of the court unanimously held that the appeal filed by Mrs. Jonathan, challenging the interim forfeiture, was without merit.

    In the lead judgment authored by Justice Kumai Akaahs, but read yesterday by Justice Ejembi Eko, the court said the Federal High Court was right to have ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money in view of the motion ex-parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The apex court upheld an earlied judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which equally upheld the temporary forfeiture.

    The Supreme Court ordered Mrs.Jonathan to go before the Federal High Court in Lagos to show cause, as earlier directed by the trial court, why the order for permanent forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government should not be made.

    Justices Musa Muhammad, John Okoro, Paul Galumje and Sidi Bage, who were members of the panel, agreed with the lead judgment.

    The EFCC had, in 2018 went before the Federal High Court in Lagos with an ex-parte motion, brought under Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act (AFFA) and prayed for interim forfeiture of $8,435,788.84 and other sums in various bank accounts linked to Mrs. Jonathan which it claimed were suspected proceeds of unlawful activities.

    In a ruling on April 20, 2018, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun granted the ex-parte motion and ordered the EFCC to publish the court’s order in any major national newspaper to enable the respondents or anyone interested in the funds to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the said funds should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    Mrs. Jonathan subsequently went before the Court of Appeal, Lagos, to challenge the competence of the ex parte motion, the validity of the order made by the Federal High Court and the constitutionality of Section 17 of AFFA, under which the motion was filed.

    The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by Mrs. Jonathan for, among others, lacking in merit, a decision the ex-First Lady challenged at the Supreme Court.

    Lawyer to Mrs. Jonathan, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) had, while arguing the appeal, urged the Supreme Court to void Section 17 of AFFA, which he argued, violated the principles of fair hearing and presumption of innocence enshrined in the constitution.

    Adedipe equally argued that the ex parte motion, which the trial court granted, failed to disclose the alleged “unlawful activities,” the funds were said to have been derived from.

  • EFCC, Patience Jonathan to give oral evidence in forfeiture case

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday said oral evidence was required in the hearing of a forfeiture case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

    The agency is praying the court to order the final forfeiture of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion allegedly belonging to Mrs Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun declined to grant EFCC’s application for final forfeiture but directed parties to give oral evidence to justify ownership.

    She said there were conflicting depositions in the affidavits before her, adding that oral evidence was needed to clear them up.

    “The right of parties in this suit cannot be determined by affidavit evidence.

    “I hereby order parties to call upon their witnesses so that the rights of parties can be determined one way or the other,” Justice Olatoregun ruled.

    The judge had last April 20 ordered the funds’ temporary forfeiture to the Federal Government.

    Mrs 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 are the respondents.

    Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers, including Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had argued that the funds included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

    But, EFCC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

    It also faulted Mrs Jonathan’s claim that some of the funds were donations.

    “From the totality of what she filed, she did not disclose the identities of those who made the donations. Fictitious names were used to deposit the funds in the accounts, which show their fraudulent nature,” EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo said.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers had played five videos to prove the money’s source during an earlier hearing.

    The videos showed business outlets and products of Finchley Homes, including interior and exterior home decorations, household utensils, textiles, drinks, noodles, furniture, a warehouse, as well as various pickup vans said to belong to the company.

    They also showed the business outfit of the Otuoke, Bayelsa State-based Magel Resort, which comprised a luxurious hotel equipped IT centres, and the activities of Mrs Jonathan’s Women for Change Initiative, which is said to own part of the money.

    EFCC said the companies were not into “any legitimate income-yielding business venture” and did not pay tax but were incorporated for the purpose of warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities for the former First Lady.

    “The depositors into this account are domestic staff of State House, Abuja, who was procured by the Dudafa Waripamo-Owei to deposit the funds sought to be forfeited in a bid to conceal the true origin of the funds,” the commission’s operative said in an affidavit.

    Justice Olatoregun adjourned until March 13 and 14

  • Court refuses to make forfeiture order on Patience Jonathan’s $8.4m, N7.4b

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday refused to order the forfeiture of $8.4 million and N7.4 billion linked to former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun refused an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) application for a final forfeiture of the sums seized from the former First Lady.

    The judge had last April 20 ordered temporary forfeiture of the funds which EFCC said were suspected to be proceeds of crime.

    Mrs Jonathan, Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd and Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba are the respondents.

    Among the temporarily forfeited sums are N1.085billion and N226.3million found in Finchley’s Ecobank account and N39.4million found in its Diamond Bank account, as well as N55.9million found in Pagmat Oil and Gas’ Diamond Bank account, among others.

    Mrs Jonathan’s lawyers argued that the money included donations and legitimate earnings by the companies linked to her.

    Justice Olatoregun said parties must give oral evidence to justify the money’s source and ownership.

    “I have stated here that the right of parties in this suit cannot be determined by affidavit evidence.

    “Oral testimonies are to be called with cross extermination.

    Read Also: EFCC: Patience Jonathan’s ally Shagaya’s account lawfully frozen

    “I hereby order parties to call upon their witnesses so that the right of parties can be determined one way or the other,” the judge ruled.

    EFCC said the money is “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity”.

    The commission also faulted Mrs Jonathan’s claim that some of the funds were donations.

    “From the totality of what she filed, she did not disclose the identities of those who made the donations. Fictitious names were used to deposit the funds in the accounts, which show their fraudulent nature,” EFCC said.