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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • Ex-first lady Patience Jonathan alleges victimisation by EFCC

    Ex-first lady Patience Jonathan alleges victimisation by EFCC

    FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife Patience has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of victimising her.

    She urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu to order.

    A statement by her spokesperson Belema Meshack-Hart accused Magu of trying to destroy her family.

    She alleged that she was being investigated for her role in the 2015 election and for supporting her husband.

    “We believe that she is being systematically persecuted and punished because of her unflinching support for her husband during the 2015 elections,” the statement said.

    It added: “One thing is clear: No matter what they do to Mrs. Jonathan, she will continue to stand by her husband, the father of her children, even if it means paying the supreme price with her life.”

    Mrs. Jonathan is being investigated by the EFCC for allegations of fraud and money laundering running into billions of naira.

    In April, the High Court in Lagos ordered the temporary forfeiture of $5.8 million and N2.4 billion in her accounts, which she is contesting.

    The anti-graft agency has also linked several properties at home and abroad to Mrs. Jonathan, many of them at various stages of investigation.

    Mrs. Jonathan said:  “President Muhammadu Buhari should be reminded that his wife also supported him in all the elections he contested against her husband, former President Jonathan, but Dr. Jonathan did not at any point in time carry out personal vendetta or go after Buhari’s wife.

    “That is the standard practice in all democracies around the world. For instance, Michelle Obama campaigned vigorously for her husband’s party during their last Presidential election, but we are yet to see President Donald Trump move against her. One thing is clear: No matter what they do to Mrs. Jonathan, she will continue to stand by her husband, the father of her children, even if it means paying the supreme price with her life,”  she said.

    She accused Magu of desecrating the image of the Presidency, saying “it would be good to bring him back to the path of sanity and reason”.

    Mrs. Jonathan described herself as the most vilified first lady in the history of Nigeria.

    She said it had gotten to the extent where all the “magnificent edifices in Abuja, Yenagoa or Port Harcourt” were linked to her.

    The statement also reads:”We wish to place it on record that in the history of this country, no wife of any President had been so far investigated in such flagrantly vindictive and disgraceful manner, as has been the fate of Mrs. Jonathan, in the hands of Magu’s EFCC.”

    “As a tradition, every first lady in this country has had one pet project or the other, with which they sought to intervene in the lives of the less privileged. Mrs. Jonathan started her NGO in Bayelsa State 11 years ago when her husband was the Governor of the State.

    “With it, she has, over the years, touched the lives of many Nigerians in different ways. It is then surprising that while other First ladies and their pet projects were left alone, it is only her activities and that of her NGOs that are being subjected to indefinite probe and microscopic scrutiny by the Buhari administration.

    “In a method that clearly bears out the axiom of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it, Magu’s EFCC had maliciously linked Mrs. Jonathan to all kinds of fake possessions and properties around the country, including the Local Content Office in Yenagoa which is an arm of NNPC, Shoprite Complex, Nigerian Customs Guest House and Park View Hotel, both in Port Harcourt, as well as the residence of her neighbour who is a serving senator.

    “It has now come to a point where all the magnificent edifices in Abuja, Yenagoa or Port Harcourt are presented to the media as belonging to Mrs. Patience Jonathan. Not done, they also accuse her of owning several plots of land in many cities across the country, including places she has never visited. The most astonishing of all is that her close relatives are viciously being victimized, as their personal properties are also being investigated.

    “It is either the EFCC is now led by people who cannot conduct proper investigations, or they are deliberately feeding the public with false information, in line with their sinister script to embarrass and browbeat the former first family.”

     

     

  • Patience Jonathan’s case stalled

    THE absence of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday stalled proceedings on an application seeking permanent forfeiture of $5.7million belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

    No judge of the court in Lagos Division sat.

    They were said to be in Abuja for a valedictory for former Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, which held on Tuesday.

    The court on May 22 suspended proceedings in the case.

    Justice Olatoregun stayed proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal challenging the money’s temporary forfeiture.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is praying the court to order that the cash be permanent forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The judge, on April 26, made an interim order forfeiting the money based on an application by EFCC.

    Justice Olatoregun had also ordered the temporary forfeiture of N2,421,953,522.78 found in an Ecobank Nigeria Ltd account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd.

    The commission said the money also belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.

    Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), said he filed an application for stay of proceedings pending the appeal’s determination.

    Counsel for La Wari Furniture and Baths, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), added that once an appeal had been entered, the lower court ought to stay proceedings.

    Citing  several judicial authorities and Court of Appeal Rules, Ozekhome said it would amount to disrespect for court hierarchy for the judge to proceed with the case where there was a pending appeal.

    Justice Olatoregun held that it would be in the interest of justice to await the Court of Appeal’s decision.

    A new date, November 23, has been fixed.

     

  • House yet to decide on Patience Jonathan’s account – Gbajabiamila

    House yet to decide on Patience Jonathan’s account – Gbajabiamila

    The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dissociated the House of Representatives from the decision of House Committee on Public Petitions which ordered six commercial banks to unfreeze the accounts of former First Lady, Patience Jonathan and her relatives.

    The Uzoma Nkem-Abonta-led Committee had on Tuesday mandated the banks petitioned by Jonathan to immediately unfreeze all accounts belonging to her provided they were not placed on restriction by a court or any anti-graft agency.

    However, in a reaction to the Committee’s order on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said the House was yet to decide on the matter.

    The House Leader said on twitter handle that the House that would decide on the matter based on the report and recommendations of the Committee.

    He said the Committee was yet to submit its report.

    He said: “Contrary to reports, the House has not made a decision on the bank accounts.

    “The Committee’s report will be debated on resumption.”

     

     

  • Judge’s absence stalls EFCC bid to seize Patience Jonathan’s funds

    Judge’s absence stalls EFCC bid to seize Patience Jonathan’s funds

    The absence of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos, stalled proceedings on the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking permanent forfeiture of $5.7million belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

    No judge of the court’s Lagos Division sat on Wednesday.

    They were said to be in Abuja for a valedictory session for former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, held on Tuesday.

    The court on May 22 suspended proceedings in the case.

    Justice Olatoregun stayed proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal challenging the money’s temporary forfeiture.

    The EFCC is praying the court to order that the cash be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The judge, on April 26, made an interim order forfeiting the money based on the EFCC’s application.

    Justice Olatoregun had also ordered the temporary forfeiture of N2,421,953,522..78 found in an Ecobank Nigeria Limited account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Limited.

    The Commission said the money also belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.

    Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), said he filed an application for stay of proceedings pending the appeal’s determination.

    Counsel for La Wari Furniture and Baths, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), added that once an appeal had been entered, the lower court ought to stay proceedings.

    Citing several judicial authorities and Court of Appeal Rules, Ozekhome said it would amount to disrespect for court hierarchy for the judge to proceed with the case where there was a pending appeal.

    Justice Olatoregun held that it would be in the interest of justice to await the Court of Appeal’s decision.

    “I have seen the hearing notice issued by the Court of Appeal. I believe it will be in the interest of justice for parties to vent their views at the Court of Appeal.

    “I will, therefore, adjourn this case until 20th of September,” she added.

    Mrs. Jonathan, in the notice of appeal, is praying the court to hold that the law cited by the EFCC in its ex-parte application for the temporary forfeiture was inapplicable.

    A new date of November 23 has been fixed for hearing of the case.

  • House panel orders banks to allow Patience Jonathan access accounts

    House panel orders banks to allow Patience Jonathan access accounts

    THE Public Petitions Committee of House of Representatives has directed six banks to  allow former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan and her relatives to access their accounts  that have no restriction order from a court or any anti-corruption agency.

    The lawmakers urged the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, to appear before it on October 4.

    The committee regretted that Magu failed to honour its invitation on three occasions. It, however, advised that it should not be compelled to force his appearance before.

    At the continuation of hearing on a petition yesterday on harassment of the former first lady by security agencies, some of the affected banks denied restricting access to some of the accounts belonging to her.

    The banks said access was only denied to the accounts flagged by the EFCC.

    Diamond Bank said Mrs. Jonathan has three accounts with it. The bank said one was closed and the other two have no restrictions on them, including that of her non-governmental organisation (NGO), Women for Change.

    Fidelity Bank said it has no account being maintained by the former first lady. EcoBank requested for specific accounts involved as it has no previous knowledge of the accounts being mentioned by Mrs. Johnathan’s representatives.

    According to the former first lady, who was represented by Ayodeji Adedipe of Granville Abibo and Co, a Union Bank account belonging to her two NGOs , ARM Foundation and World Peace Outreach, were also placed on restriction without due process.

    The bank, in its response, said the ARM Foundation account became inaccessible as a result of the temporary precautionary order of restriction placed on it by EFCC.

    The committee ordered that the account be converted into a premium deposit account to enjoy necessary interest denied it since the restriction order until the EFCC gives a different directive.

    The committee asked Aridolf Jo Resort, another property belonging to Mrs. Jonathan, which was accused of evading tax by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the tune of N10 million to pay its tax.

    Mrs. Jonathan’s representative said the company was up-to-date with its tax returns, adding that FIRS did not communicate details of the said evaded tax to it.

    The company tendered two FIRS receipts dated August and October 2016 showing payment of N38, 700 and N43, 030.

    FIRS representative said records of the two payment were available but short of the official threshold, while adding that several correspondences sent to the company since June 2016 were ignored until enforcement was carried out in July  2017.

    According to FIRS, the company refused to supply it with relevant document with which to access it. Tax officials were also stopped from carrying out the enforcement by some militants after failed efforts to get the requested documents.

    In his ruling, Committee chairman, Uzomoma Nkem-Abonta, gave the two 14 days to reconcile their records, adding that the hotel must pay its tax.

    “We are not siding anybody. But as a legislature, we cannot condone tax evasion by any individual or organisation because tax is one resource we have not totally explored in this country as a source of revenue for government,” Nkem-Abonta said.

    The committee also gave the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) two and a half hours to provide details of the November 30, 2016 raid on  Mrs. Jonathan’s Maitama, Abuja house.

    The committee said it was not convinced that there was a whistleblower that necessitated the raid in the first place.

    NDLEA’s representative , Femi Olruntoba, said the agency was misled into raiding Mrs. Johnathan’s house but declined to reveal the identity of the whistleblower in public.

    He said the agency had already apologised for the mistake.

    On the appearance of EFCC boss, the committee said collusion between government agencies was not healthy and should not be encouraged but Magu should not allow the House to force his appearance before it.

    According to the committee, the appearance of Magu or his representative was critical to the proceeding. It added that Magu’s absence was stalling the investigation.

  • Reps to banks: Unfreeze Patience Jonathan’s accounts

    Reps to banks: Unfreeze Patience Jonathan’s accounts

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday directed six commercial banks to unfreeze any account belonging to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan and her relatives.

    However, the affected banks are those without restriction order from court or the anti-graft agencies.

    The House also asked the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, to appear before its Public Petition Committee on October 4.

    The House regretted that Magu failed to honour the Committee’s invitation on three occasions but advised the EFCC chairman that it should not be compelled to force his appearance before the panel.

    At the continuation of hearing on a petition filed by Jonathan on Tuesday, some of the affected banks denied restricting access to accounts belonging to the former first lady.

    The banks said access was only denied to the accounts flagged by the EFCC.

    One of the banks, Diamond bank said Jonathan has three accounts with it.

    The bank said one of the accounts was closed while the other two, including the one operated by her Non- governmental organization – Women For Change – were restricted.

     

     

  • New judge for Patience Jonathan’s suit

    New judge for Patience Jonathan’s suit

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, will today replace one of the judges on the three-man panel hearing an appeal by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, concerning her seized funds.

    Mrs. Jonathan is seeking to stop the permanent forfeiture of $5.7 million and N2,421,953,522.78 to the Federal Government.

    The suit, which was assigned to Justices John Ikyeh, Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and Abraham Georgewill last July 5, was stalled on July 12, following the withdrawal of an unnamed member of the panel.

    Justice Ikyeh, who presided over the appeal, noted that three judges were required to form a quorum before an appeal could be heard.

    He adjourned hearing till today.

    “One of us is going to recuse himself from this case for personal reasons, so we are not complete. Two of us cannot make a quorum,” Justice Ikyeh said.

  • New judge for Patience Jonathan’s $5.7m, N2.4b suit

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, will on Monday replace one of the judges on the three-man panel hearing an appeal by the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, concerning her seized funds.

    Mrs Jonathan is seeking to stop the permanent forfeiture of $5.7million and N2,421,953,522.78 to the Federal Government.

    The suit, which was assigned to Justices John Ikyeh, Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and Abraham Georgewill last July 5, was stalled last July 12 following the withdrawal of an unnamed member of the panel.

    Justice Ikyeh, who presided over the appeal, noted that three judges were required to form a quorum before an appeal could be heard.

    He adjourned hearing till Monday.

    “One of us is going to recuse himself from this case for personal reasons, so we are not complete. Two of us cannot make a quorum,” Justice Ikyeh said.

    In law, the verb recuse means to remove someone from a position of judicial authority, either a judge or a member of a jury, who is deemed unacceptable to judge, usually because of some bias.

    Mrs Jonathan’s appeal arose from an order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last April 26, from the Federal High Court in Lagos, temporarily forfeiting the cash to the government.

    The commission told Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who made the order, that the funds were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

    It said the $5.7m was part of the $6,791,599.64 (about N2.1billion) which Mrs Jonathan allegedly directed her aides to pay into her account between February 8, 2013 and January 30, 2015, while her husband was President.

    Mrs. Jonathan, the commission said, had earlier spent $949, 282.98 (about N296, 141,911) from the money.

    It said she also withdrew another $100,000 from the account in April, leaving a balance of $5,731,173.55.

    Justice Olatoregun also ordered the temporary forfeiture of the N2,421,953,522.78 found in an Ecobank Nigeria Ltd account numbered 2022000760 in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd.

    The commission said the money also belongs to Mrs Jonathan.

    Last May 22, Justice Olatoregun suspended proceedings in the hearing of the EFCC’s application seeking permanent forfeiture of the cash pending the appellate court’s decision on the interim order.

    She granted the applications of Mrs Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and that of Counsel for La Wari Furniture and Baths, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) for a stay.

    Mrs Jonathan, in the notice of appeal, is praying the court to hold that the law cited by the EFCC in its ex-parte application for the temporary forfeiture was inapplicable.

    “A judge is bound by the prayers on the motion paper, and the court has no jurisdiction to make a case for a party different from that presented by the said party,” the appellant said.

  • EFCC traces Abuja posh assets to Jonathan’s wife

    EFCC traces Abuja posh assets to Jonathan’s wife

    Two more assets have been traced to former First Lady Patience Jonathan, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering.

    The latest development has brought the number of Mrs. Jonathan’s assets  under investigation to 15.

    But the list does not include the six choice plots traced to her in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it was learnt yesterday.

    The commission said it suspected the assets were allegedly bought through three firms  – Ariwabai Aurera Reachout Foundation; Finchley Top Homes Limited; and AM-PM Network Limited.

    The EFCC has initiated moves to seize the assets, which are in Abuja.

    Besides the three firms, the roles played by seven banks in acquiring the assets are also being investigated.

    A Special Task Force is probing the relationship between the three firms and the former First Lady.

    Specifically, detectives are probing how Mrs. Jonathan allegedly used the proxy firms to secure six choice plots in the Central Business District(CBD), Abuja, Wasa District, Idogwari District, Karsana and Mabushi in the FCT.

    The plots are:

    • 1758, Cadastral zone B06, Mabushi, which was allocated to Ariwabai Aurera Reachout Foundation in 2010;
    • 96, Cadastral Zone D05, Karsana, allocated to AM-PM Global Network Limited vide a letter of intent dated 31/05/2012;
    • 7109, Cadastral Zone E10, Wasa District, allocated to AM-PM Global Network Limited vide a letter of intent dated 27/03/2013;
    • 30, Cadasrtal Zone D03, Idogwari District (AM-PM Global Network Limited vide a letter of intent dated 23/10/2014);
    • 1758, Cadastral zone B06, Mabushi (Ariwabai Aurera Reachout Foundation vide a Right of Occupancy in 2010); and
    • 1350 Cadastral Zone A00, Central Business District, which was allocated to Ariwabai Aurera Reach Out Foundation in 2010. The and Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) issued in 2011.

    A source said: “A Special Task Force is looking into how Mrs. Jonathan allegedly laundered huge sums of money into the accounts of three companies. These shell  firms were in turn used to acquire some plots of land and properties suspected to be proceeds of crime.

    “We have already written to the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) and seven banks linked with the plots of land and the two properties.

    “Apart from the statements of account of the three companies., our team is in touch with Abuja Geographical Information Service(AGIS) for information about some properties linked to the affected firms.”

    The source spoke of how the investigators found that two properties were already being developed, allegedly by the former First Lady on Plot No. 1758 Cadastral zone B06 Mabushi and Plot No. 1350 Cadastral zone A00 Central Business District

    “We discovered that on Plot No. 1758 Cadastral zone B06 Mabushi, which was allocated to Ariwabai Aurera Reachout Foundation in 2010 and C of O issued in 2011, eight  mighty  buildings are being built. Most people believe it is proposed to be a hotel.

    “Also, Plot No. 1350, Cadastral Zone A00 in Central Business District, currently bears an eight-storey building still under construction. The plot was allocated to Ariwabai Aurera Reachout Foundation in 2010 and C of O issued in 2011.

    “Inference   may be drawn from the above, considering the fact that the suspect’s last known official position was Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Government.

    Hence, there is no way such magnificent architectural edifices could have been built within a short space of time as it is the case with the properties in question.”

    The EFCC believes that there is high probability that the property could have been built with proceeds of crime.

    “It is evidently clear that it is a case of money laundering but there is need to do more to prove the predicate of the offence,” the source said, pleading not to be named so as not to jeopardise the investigation.

    The agency is awaiting responses from banks, CAC and AGIS.

    Besides, it is making efforts to get information about Finchley Homes Limited, its directors and all properties with bank accounts linked to them.

    The source confirmed that the EFCC might “request for the interim forfeiture of the two properties.

    “This is particularly very important because attempt to mark the properties, by operatives, was resisted and even the portion that was successfully marked was later cleared by agents of the suspect,” the source said.

    With the latest bend of investigation, 15 properties and six plots of land have so far been traced to the former First Lady in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa and Abuja.

    Besides the two properties in Abuja, 13 others were previously linked with the ex-First Lady.

    The assets in Port Harcourt  are former Customs Service officers mess; two duplexes at 2/3 Bauchi Street; landed property with blocks at Ambowei Street; three Luxury apartments of four-bedroom each at Ambowei Street;  and Grand View Hotel along airport road.

    The rest suspected assets in Yenagoa include two marble duplexes at Otioko GRA by Isaac Boro Expressway;  Glass House on Sani Abacha Expressway, which is housing Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring  Board; Akemfa Etie Plaza by AP filling Station, Melford Okilo  Road; and Aridolf  Resort, Wellness and Spa along Sani Abacha Expressway.

  • Reps hunt informants over Patience Jonathan’s property raid

    Reps hunt informants over Patience Jonathan’s property raid

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for identities of informants whose tip-off led to raid on former First Lady, Patience Jonathan’s property.

    The House’s Committee on Public Petition gave the order on Wednesday in its session on a petition on incessant harassment of herself and family sent to it by the former first lady.

    The committee also summoned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Police to appear as defendants in the petition.

    A Director in the NDLEA, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, had told the committee at the hearing that the agency got a tip-off from an unnamed source that the property located at Igbeti Rock Street, Maitama, Abuja, was being used for illicit drug activities.

    “Based on the information, eight officers of the agency visited the premises after surveillance was conducted on it. It is not true that 50 officers from my agency visited the premises,” he said.

    According to Oloruntoba, the officer who met two occupants of the premises provided them with a search endorsement form, which they endorsed indicating that the search was conducted without any damage to the property or loss of items.

    He said that the agency was not aware that the premises belonged to the former first lady, adding that a letter was written by a solicitor on behalf of a man who claimed to be the owner of the premises.

    Consequently, the committee requested NDLEA to provide it with the identity of the claimed source before the next adjourned date.

    The legal team from Granville Abibo & Co. led by Mr Sammie Somiari, who petitioned the lower chamber on behalf of Mrs Jonathan, had earlier told the committee that it would adopt the initial petition as its brief in the matter.

    Somiari added that additional documents were available to substantiate whatever they had raised in the petition.

    He said the respondents, including the mentioned agencies, had engaged in wanton attacks on the former first lady and her relations.

    He cited different media reports and newspaper headlines as pointers to the allegation of attacks on Jonathan.

    He said “the EFCC has serially orchestrated a design to freeze the personal accounts of Mrs Jonathan, her siblings and other relations and associates

    “A case in point is one Aridolf Jo Resort Wellness and Spa Ltd off Okota Estate and Finchley Top Homes Limited which were all shut down without any justifiable reason by the EFCC with their accounts frozen.”

    The committee asked its secretariat to send reminders to all agencies joined in the case that were yet to appear to provide documents regarding their role in the matter.

    It adjourned its session to Sept. 19, 2017.