EFCC Should Pay Me Extra $200m For Freezing My $15m Account – Patience Jonathan Blows Hot In Court

The immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Patience
Jonathan, has filed a lawsuit against the Economic
and Financial Crime Commission, seeking to
unfreeze her account and demanding a multi-million
Naira compensation.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, fixed
December 7 to hear a suit by ex-first lady, Patience
Jonathan, against the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission (EFCC), seeking to unfreeze her
account.
Apart from the EFCC, other respondents are Skye
Bank and a former Special Assistant to ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan, Waripama-Owei Dudafa.
Also joined in the suit are Pluto Property and
Investment company Ltd, Seagate Property
Development and Investment Company Ltd,
Transocean Property and Investment Company Ltd
and Globus Integrated Service Ltd.
The ex-first lady is demanding $200 million from the
commission as damages for infringing on her rights.
She is also urging the court to issue an order
discharging the freezing order and restraining the
EFCC and its agent from further placing a freezing
order on the said accounts.
When the case was called on Wednesday, Rotimi
Oyedepo, announced appearance for the EFCC, while
Granville Abibo appeared for Mrs. Jonathan.
Addressing the court, Oyedepo informed the judge
that the case was coming up for the first time,
adding that some of the respondents had yet to be
served with the court’s processes.
He said the case was not yet “ripe for hearing”,
having been served with the processes on October
19 and is yet to file a response.
His submission was, however, not contested by
counsel to the plaintiff.
Consequently, Justice Babs Kuewumi fixed
December 7 for hearing.
In an affidavit in support deposed to by Sammie
Somiari, a lawyer, he averred that on March 22,
2010, she (Jonathan) had opened five different
accounts with Skye Bank with the assistance of one
Damola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi.
He averred that the account mandate forms were
duly completed and signed by her.
According to him, Mrs. Jonathan subsequently
discovered that apart from one of the accounts that
bore her name, the other four accounts were opened
in the name of four companies which were
companies belonging to Dudafa.
He said she also observed that the ATM cards of
the said accounts were issued in the names of the
companies, adding that she complained to Dudafa,
who promised to effect the necessary changes.
He said Dipo Oshodi also promised to effect the
necessary changes.
Somiari averred that Mrs. Jonathan is not a director,
shareholder or particiP@nt in these companies and
the funds in the said accounts were solely owned
and operated by her. “Dudafa does not own any part
of the funds in the said accounts.”
According to the deponent, the Skye Bank official
(Mr. Oshodi) did not effect the instructions of the
plaintiff to change the name of the said accounts to
her name, in spite of repeated request.
He stated that notwithstanding the refusal of the
bank to effect the necessary changes, she had been
using the said ATM cards without any interference.
The deponent averred that sometime in July, Mrs.
Jonathan discovered that the ATM cards were not
functioning, and immediately contacted the bank,
who informed her that a “No debit/freezing order”
had been placed on the accounts.
“On further enquiry, the bank informed her that the
accounts were frozen on the directive of EFCC as a
result of ongoing investigation in relation to Dudafa.”
Jonathan, therefore, contended that she was never
arrested or invited by the EFCC prior to the freezing
order placed on the accounts.
She further contends that the freezing order on her
funds on the directive of EFCC without an order of
the court is unlawful and illegal.
Consequently, Mrs. Jonathan is seeking an order of
court, directing the unfreezing of her account
forthwith and also wants an order restraining the
EFCC from taking further steps in relation to the
said account pending the determination of the suit.
Source:- NAN

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