A Federal high court has ordered a temporary forfeiture of N9.2 billion and $8.4 million allegedly linked to Patience Jonathan, former First Lady of Nigeria.
The order was given by the presiding Judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun. The judge has also ordered national newspapers to make public the court order within 14 days and the respondent should also be served with the order appropriately.
The funds were said to be spread across some banks namely; First Bank Plc, Diamond Bank, Skye Bank Plc, and Stanbic IBTC Bank.
The suit which was initially struck out due to abuse of court process and lack of cohesion as a similar suit was pending in a different court according to the former first lady’s lawyers, EFCC decided to consolidate the suits into one case.
According to a 15-paragraph affidavit by Huleji Tukura, an EFCC investigator, the funds in the listed bank originated from the coffers of the Bayelsa State Government and were moved when Patience Jonathan served as a permanent secretary in one of the ministries in the state.
Tukura also stated that the illicit funding of the First Bank account which was the first to be opened was done by Waripamo-Owei Dudafa who was the then Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan.
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