6 months after, court unfreezes Mrs Jonathan’s 16 accounts, cites EFCC’s default

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja Tuesday set aside its order made on May 30 freezing 16 accounts belonging to wife of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The order was withdrawn on the grounds that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which secured the temporary freeze order failed to conduct its investigation into the alleged infractions involving the 16 accounts.

Read also: More trouble for Diezani as court orders forfeiture of 2 additional properties linked to her

The court’s decision followed an application by counsel to Mrs. Jonathan, Mike Ozekhome, asking the court to set aside the ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC for continued control of the accounts, describing the EFCC’s motion as an abuse of court process.

Mrs Jonathan had been in a running battle with the EFCC over the freezing of her accounts, and had even taken the fight out of the courtroom, notably including a petition against the EFCC at the House of Representatives which led to a legislative order for the freeze to be lifted, to no avail.

 

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