A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the freezing of multiple bank accounts linked to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.
The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an individual, had a cumulative balance of N7,418,829,290.94 (N7.4bn) and $429,381.87.
The court presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun made the freezing order following an application for an interim injunction to that effect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC had in an affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Mr. Abdulahi Tukur, told the judge that suspected proceeds of crime were retained in the accounts and urged the judge to urgently freeze the accounts pending the conclusion of its investigations.
The court’s order came following charges initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed by its lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo.
The former first lady had initially filed a suit against the anti-graft agency after another account linked to her was frozen.
The Guardian reports that the account is being fingered as one of those involved in an alleged fraud case before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos but Mrs Jonathan’s counsel, Gboyega Oduwole has filed a case before the court, informing that his client is unhappy with the EFCC over the recent move to freeze the account.
Vanguard however reports that Patience has now changed tactic and wrote directly to the EFCC boss asking for the sanction on her account to be lifted.
In a letter through her lawyer, Sammie Somiari, the former first lady explained to Magu that she was a law-abiding citizen and used the account to pay for her medical bills and personal expenses.
“It is noteworthy to emphasise that the said accounts, which were in US dollar denomination, were card-based accounts and our client is the sole signatory to these accounts.
“Our client has been operating the said accounts using the cards for her medical bill payments and purchases for her private purposes without any let or hindrance. “Our client was therefore surprised when the said cards stop functioning on July 7, 2016, or thereabout. Our client immediately, thereupon, contacted Skye Bank Plc through our solicitors.
‘‘It was only then that the bank officials informed our client that the said accounts were placed on a ‘No Debit Order’ following investigations and instruction from your commission and this is without notice to our client by either the bank or the commission.
“It is in the light of the foregoing that we urge you to use your good offices to vacate the ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ placed on the said accounts.”
