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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • Patience Jonathan shuns EFCC reopens Abuja hotel

    Patience Jonathan shuns EFCC reopens Abuja hotel

    The wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan has reportedly recovered her N2 billion hotel which was sealed off by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in June.

    The EFCC had placed the red inscriptions, ‘EFCC Under Investigation’ all over the hotel which is located near Setraco Construction Company, off the Mabushi Kado Expressway.

    However, in a report by Punch, the five-story building with the EFCC inscriptions had been covered with patches of grey paint.

    When asked, the security men said they acted on the instruction of Mrs Jonathan.

    One of them said, “Go and ask the EFCC if they had the right to put their sign all over the building in the first place. If you want more information, go and ask madam.”

    The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said he did not know much about the seizure of the building and thus could not say if it had been returned to Patience or not.

    He said, “I have spoken to the appropriate people but I was not able to get any answer on the matter.”

    In his reaction, Mrs Jonathan’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), said he was not aware of the seizure of the property.

    Adedipe said if the hotel in question was indeed seized through a court order, then the removal of the EFCC inscriptions would be of no effect.

    He, however, boasted that all properties and funds seized from the former first lady would be returned to her soon.

    Adedipe said, “I am not aware of the seizure of property. If the EFCC seal was removed from the property, let them go and put another one. In any case, we have sued the EFCC for abuse of her human rights and human dignity. The matter is pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja and everything has been included in that suit.

    “We are challenging all the seizures because without prejudice to our case, Mrs Jonathan was neither a public officer nor a contractor. So, the idea of harassing her beats my imagination.

    “I don’t see the basis for the EFCC’s harassment of that woman and the case wears a political toga because she was a formidable element during the campaign.”

    Mrs Jonathan had in May 2016, laid claim to about $15 million found in bank accounts allegedly belonging to a former Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.

    She subsequently sued Skye Bank Plc and the EFCC. The commission then went ahead to freeze her personal account with a balance of $5 million.

    The anti-graft agency had also frozen bank accounts belonging to her relatives and friends including business mogul, Bola Shagaya.

    Her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, had complained about the harassment of his wife by the commission while Patience had also written a petition to the House of Representatives asking the lawmakers to caution the EFCC and stop harassing her and her relatives.

  • JUST IN: A’Court judge withdraws from Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m suit

    JUST IN: A’Court judge withdraws from Patience Jonathan’s $5.9m suit

    One of the three justices assigned to hear the appeal filed by former first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan to discharge a court order which temporarily seized the sum of $5.9m found in her Skye Bank account on Wednesday withdrew from the case.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports the three-man appeal court panel, comprising Justices John Ikyeh, Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and Abraham Georgewill, had earlier fixed Wednesday to hear the appeal.

    But when the case was called on Wednesday morning, Justice Ikyeh, who presided over the panel, told the counsel on both sides that the appeal could no longer be heard as one of the three justices had decided to withdraw for personal reasons.

    Justice Ikyeh, however, did not mention the name of the member of the panel who withdrew but said the appeal had to be further adjourned in the circumstances.

    “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. So, we’ll give you a date,” Justice Ikyeh said.

    In the circumstances, counsel for the Economic and Financial Commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the appellate court to fix a new date during the court’s long vacation which would last till September.

    Oyedepo said the EFCC, which is seeking a court order permanently forfeiting Patience’s $5.9m to the Federal Government, had been handicapped because the Federal High Court in Lagos, which is hearing the case, had already stayed proceedings to await the decision of the Court of Appeal.

    But Justice Ikyeh reiterated that nothing could be done because two justices could not form a quorum.

    “We can’t write anything because we are incomplete. One of us cannot sit over this appeal,” he said.

    The case was subsequently adjourned till September 18, 2017, after the court’s vacation.

    Patience, through her lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), is urging the Court of Appeal to overturn an April 26, 2017 interim order of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who ordered that the $5.9m found in her Skye Bank account should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The forfeiture order was made in favour of the EFCC, which took an ex parte application before the judge.

    Apart from Patience’s personal account with $5.9m, the court also froze a number of accounts linked with her including an Ecobank account, with a balance of N2.4bn, opened in the name of one La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited.

    In a supporting affidavit attached to the ex parte application, the EFCC told Justice Olatoregun that the funds were suspected to be proceeds of Patience’s alleged criminal activities.

    An EFCC operative, Musbahu Abubakar, who deposed to the affidavit, stated that Patience opened the Skye Bank account on February 7, 2013, and used it to allegedly warehouse proceeds of crime.

    According to Abubakar, the former first lady made several cash deposits in United States dollar into the account, through a former Special Assistant to ex-President Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, and a State House steward, Festus Iyoha.

    He said as of January 30, 2015, the Skye Bank account had a balance of $6.7m but Patience subsequently withdrew it down to $5.9m.

    The EFCC had prayed the court to urgently freeze the account so as to prevent Patience for moving the funds.

    Justice Olatoregun had then granted the interim forfeiture order and adjourned till May 22, 2017, for anyone interested in the funds to appear before her to show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    On May 22, Patience’s lawyer, Adedipe, appeared in court in company with counsel for La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and told Justice Olatoregun that their clients had appealed the temporary forfeiture order.

    They urged the judge to suspend further proceedings pending the outcome of the appeal.

    They argued that it would be disrespectful for Justice Olatoregun to proceed with the case after the appeal had been entered and the appellate court had issued a hearing notice.

    Justice Olatoregun had then consequently adjourned the case till September 24, 2017, to give the parties time to “ventilate their views in the appellate court.”‎

     

  • EFCC sent assassins after me, says Patience Jonathan

    EFCC sent assassins after me, says Patience Jonathan

    Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of sending assassins after her.

    Mrs. Jonathan said she had survived two of such attempts but urged the House of Representatives to quickly intervene before the EFCC would succeed in the alleged plot to eliminate her.

    In a letter written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) & Co, Mrs. Jonathan said, “There have been assassination attempts, at least twice, between February and April, 2017, against our client ostensibly by the operatives of the EFCC along the Yenagoa-Mbaima Road, Bayelsa State, in furtherance of its unlawful actions against the former first family.”

    Patience also accused the anti-graft agency of bugging her telephone lines, adding that agents of the commission had been sending threatening text messages to her.

    The former President’s wife said, “The EFCC and its agents have repeatedly bugged the personal telephones of our client and her relations through its many operatives and has inundated her with numerous threatening calls and text messages.”

    She said apart from the EFCC, other agencies of the government, like the Federal Inland Revenue Service had intimidated her and also stated that National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been frustrating her.

    Patience alleged that officials of the FIRS stormed her hotel in Bayelsa State two months ago and vandalised its properties.

    Mrs. Jonathan added, “On May 3, 2017, officials of the FIRS, in a convoy of about 20 trucks and over 70 personnel, raided our client’s NGO – Aridolf Jo Resort Wellness and Spa Limited – situated at Kpansia Expressway, Bayelsa State, and orchestrated a massive destruction of personal properties belonging to our client without any lawful court order or search warrant and caused mayhem there under the guise of trying to collect unpaid taxes without following any due process provided by law to do so.”

    She stated that apart from her bank accounts, the commission had frozen those of her relatives and her NGOs which she said were only carrying out charity work for the benefit of Nigerians.

    Patience said the anti-graft agency had also seized properties belonging to her NGOs.

    Meanwhile, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, on Monday, said the allegation by Mrs. Jonathan that the agency was harassing her was misleading and spurious.

    The NDLEA also stated that the former President’s wife’s allegation was an attempt to take issue with the agency as it had no case against her.

    Mrs. Jonathan had petitioned the House of Representatives through her lawyer, Granville Abibo, alleging that she was being subjected to continuous harassment by the EFCC and the NDLEA.

    But the anti-narcotic agency, in a statement on Monday by its Head, Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said any individual, found culpable of drug trafficking and other related offences, would be duly prosecuted by the agency irrespective of his or her status.

    Ofoyeju said, “Mrs. Jonathan’s allegation is spurious and misleading. NDLEA has no case against the former First Lady. It is rather surprising that the agency was mentioned in her petition when she is not being investigated.

    “The NDLEA remains committed to the fight against drug cultivation, trafficking and abuse. It will not harass but those who violate the provisions of the Act, no matter their status, shall not go unpunished.”

  • News Hour 06-07-2017 I TNGtv

    News Hour 06-07-2017 I TNGtv

  • Help! EFCC, NDLEA, harassing me, former first lady, Patience Jonathan tells Reps

    Help! EFCC, NDLEA, harassing me, former first lady, Patience Jonathan tells Reps

    Nigeria’s former First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan has formally sought the intervention of the House of Representatives over an alleged harassment of her family by security and other law enforcement government agencies in the country.

    In a petition to the Lower Chamber on Thursday, Jonathan urged the Federal Government to call the agencies to order.

    The petition was presented at the House’s plenary by the lawmaker representing Okrika Constituency of Rivers, Rep. Bright Tamuno.

    Presenting the document, Tamuno urged the House to wade into the matter in consideration of the sacrifices her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan, made for the country.

    According to him, no former first lady has been harassed like this before, and in view of the sacrifices that her husband has made for the country, the House should consider and call the security agencies to order.

    In the petition, Jonathan alleged that the harassment was being orchestrated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other agencies of the Federal Government.

    The Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, referred the petition to the Committee on Public Petitions for further legislative action.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the former first lady had petitioned the House in a similar vain in December 2016.

     

     

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  • $20m fraud: Court orders Patience Jonathan to pay EFCC N50,000

    $20m fraud: Court orders Patience Jonathan to pay EFCC N50,000

    A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday ordered Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, to pay N50, 000 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after she withdrew her suit against the Commission.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Patience had in February sued the EFCC for the alleged breach of her fundamental human rights.

    She asked Justice Saliu Saidu to declare that the freezing of her $20m bank accounts and those of her relatives by the anti-graft agency as a gross violation of her rights to fair hearing and to own property.

    Mrs. Jonathan asked the court to rule that the ransacking of her family property by the officials of the EFCC was illegal and also demanded the payment of N2bn in damages.

    The plaintiff through her counsel, I. A. Adedipe (SAN), had prayed the court to restrain the EFCC from infringing on her right.

    Counsel for the EFCC, Kayode Oni, faulted Mrs. Jonathan on her prayers before the court, arguing that her suit was “an abuse of court process.”

    At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, Sammie Somiari who represented Mrs. Jonathan addressed the court on a notice of discontinuance of the suit, saying that he had “an instruction of his client to discontinue the matter.”

    He said that an application had been filed before the court to that effect.

    In response, Oni submitted that Patience had a right of discontinue the case, but pressed for a charge of N500,000 as the cost of filing processes in response to the suit.

    The judge refused to grant the EFCC’s N500,000 request.

    Justice Seidu struck out the suit and awarded N50,000 cost against the plaintiff.

  • Photos: EFCC seizes N3bn hotel allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has seized a hotel allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The five-storey hotel, believed to be worth about N3bn, is located near Setraco Construction Company, beside Mabushi Kado Expressway.

    The property, which has not been officially opened, has between 50 to 100 rooms, a gymnasium, a fountain and other amenities.

    The hotel currently has ‘EFCC Under Investigation’ written all over the walls.

    Meanwhile, EFCC also seized three other properties in Abuja allegedly belonging to Patience.

    The properties are located in Karsana, Wasa and Idogwari areas of Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Patience has been under probe since May 2016 when the commission arrested a former Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.

    Patience laid claim to about $15m found in bank accounts allegedly belonging to Dudafa’s domestic servants.

    She later sued Skye Bank Plc and the EFCC after which the commission, through a court order, freezed her personal account with a balance of $5m.

     

     

     

     

  • Patience Jonathan: Court suspends EFCC’s bid to seize $5.7m, N2.4b

    A Federal High Court Lagos on Monday suspended proceedings in the hearing of an application seeking permanent forfeiture of $5.7million belonging to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun stayed proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal filed by Jonathan, challenging the temporary forfeiture of the sum.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sought an order of permanent forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.

    Justice Olatoregun on April 26 made an interim order, forfeiting the money based on an application by EFCC, which said the money was suspected to be “proceeds of crime”.

    Olatoregun had also ordered the temporary forfeiture of N2.4 billion found in an Ecobank account in the name of La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd.

    The commission said the money was also linked to Mrs Jonathan.

    On Monday, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that he was ready to move his application for the money’s forfeiture, adding that the respondents had filed counter-affidavits.

    In response, 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.

    Besides, he said that the Court of Appeal had already fixed the case for hearing on July 5.

    Citing numerous judicial authorities and the Court of Appeal rules, he said it would amount to disrespect for court hierarchy for the judge to proceed with the case where there is a pending appeal on a decision.

    “The entire proceedings will be an illegality, if it goes on.

    “After an appeal had been entered, the Court of Appeal shall be seized of the entire proceedings; any application to be made shall be to the Court of Appeal and not to the court below.

    “It’s not for this court to remove the carpet from the foot of the Court of Appeal. It will be an affront to the authority of the Court of Appeal,” Ozekhome said.

    He further argued that the lower court ceases to have jurisdiction once an appeal is entered and records transferred.

    “It is the law that once a party to a matter has filed an appeal and the records of proceedings transferred, the lower court ought to wash its hands off the case like Pontius Pilate.

    Ruling, Justice Olatoregun held that it would be in the interest of justice to await the Court of Appeal 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 ventilate their views at the Court of Appeal.

    “I will, therefore, adjourn this case until of Sept. 20,’’ she said.

     

     

     

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  • Patience Jonathan vs EFCC: Court adjourns case to May 22

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday adjourned to May 22, a suit seeking final forfeiture to the Federal Government of the sum of $5.8m belonging to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun granted the adjournment following an argument by counsel to Jonathan, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), that the respondent was not given sufficient notice to file a response.

    The court had on April 26 issued an interim order for forfeiture of the sum of $5.8m belonging to Jonathan to the Federal Government.

    The order followed an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking a forfeiture of the sum to government, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    The court had granted the interim order and had further directed that same be advertised in a national daily, to enable any interested party to appear and show cause why the interim order should not be made final.

    When the case was called on Monday, counsel to the respondent, Adedipe informed the court of a notice of Appeal he had filed against the court’s ruling as well as a motion for stay of further proceedings.

    He argued that the EFCC ought to have waited to abide by the decision of the court of appeal in respect of the matter.

    Adedipe also noted that the publication of the court’s order in the national daily was only done on May 11, adding that such notice was too short to allow for the filing of any response.

    Responding, lawyer to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, stressed that the business of the day was for any interested party to appear and show cause.

    He noted that the argument of the respondent’s counsel fell outside the purview of the court’s business with respect to the matter at hand, and urged that progress be made.

    In her observation, however, justice Olatoregun noted that the suit will only be adjourned on the ground that the time frame of the said publication was short.

    She, therefore, adjourned the case to May 22, for the respondent or any interested party to appear and show cause why the interim forfeiture order should not be made absolute.

    Justice Olatoregun had sometimes in November 2016, granted a forfeiture order of the said sum following an application by the Commission.

    The court, had however in March this year vacated the earlier order, following an application by Jonathan’s counsel, Adedipe, who had challenged the propriety of the EFCC’s action.

    The EFCC had then filed a new motion seeking an order for interim forfeiture of the said $5.8m lodged in the respondent’s Skye Bank account.

    The Commission also sought an order directing the interim forfeiture of N2.4bn discovered in an EcoBank account in the name of La Wari Furniture and Bath Ltd, suspected to be proceeds of crime.

    It further sought for the publication in any national newspaper, of the said order, to enable any interested party to appear and show why the interim order should not be made final.

    The commission averred in an affidavit that it received an intelligence report that funds suspected to be proceeds of crime were warehoused in a Skye Bank account belonging to Jonathan.

    It said that the report was analysed and found worthy of investigation, adding that the ex- First Lady opened the account on Feb. 7, 2013.

    According to the Commission, several cash deposits were made by the ex- First Lady in the United States Dollars, through Waripamo Dudafa, a former aide to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The commission averred that another frequent depositor of funds into the said account was one Festus Iyoha, a steward in the State House, Abuja.

    The EFCC said that between Feb. 8, 2013 and Jan. 30, 2015, about $6.7m suspected to be proceeds of crime were deposited into the account.

    According to the Commission, Jonathan had dissipated the funds, leaving a balance of about $5.7m.

    The Commission further averred that if the fund was not forfeited in the interim, it may be fully dissipated by Jonathan.

    It added that N2.03b, suspected proceeds of crime, was currently on fixed deposit in the account of La Wari Furniture, in addition to a credit balance of about N389m.

    The Commission, therefore, urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

    Granting the order, Justice Olatoregun adjourned the case till May 15, to enable any interested party to appear and show reason why the interim order should not be made final.

     

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  • Photos: Saraki, Dogara, Patience Jonathan, others attend Melaye’s book launch

    Photos: Saraki, Dogara, Patience Jonathan, others attend Melaye’s book launch

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and other political heavy weights made it to the book launch of Senator Dino Melaye taking place on Monday (today) in Abuja.

    The book, titled ‘Antidotes for Corruption’, which is divided into 14 chapters with 600 pages, is currently being presented at the Umaru Ya’Adua Centre, Abuja.

    Barely 30 minutes into the program, the former First Lady, Mrs. Jonathan, made a surprise appearance, which led to a loud and resounding ovation from other dignitaries already seated in the hall.

    In his opening remarks, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Umar Ghali Na’Abba said the book was timely as it would help in reorientation of the youths and leaders of the country on the dangers of corruption.

    He said, “Corruption is not only about financial misappropriation, it is defined by social defiance and failure of leadership. Nepotism is also corruption”.

    Other dignitaries at the book launch are; Ike Ekweremadu, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Bello Mohammed, his Labour and Productivity counterpart, Dr. Chris Ngige and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Anyim Pius Anyim.

    Others are Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Molori, serving and past members of the National Assembly, with Former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings and Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote being ably represented.

    See photos from the event:

     

     

    Saraki, Dogara, Patience Jonathan, others attend Melaye’s book launch