Politics
EFCC backs down, allows Mrs Jonathan free access to her $5.9m
Patience Jonathan now has free access to her $5.9 million as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday withdrew its application to restrain her from accessing the funds.
The anti-graft agency had applied for a stay of execution of a court order which unfroze the Skye Bank account where the money is deposited.
EFCC made the application after a Lagos Federal High Court presided over by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, ordered that the former First Lady and wife of erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan’s account be unfrozen.
However, when the case came up on Tuesday, a counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the commission had changed its mind about appealing the unfreezing order and was withdrawing its earlier application on stay of execution.
Patience’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe, confirming the development, told Justice Olatoregun that the EFCC’s counsel had served him with the EFCC’s application to withdraw its application for stay of proceedings.
Read also: EFCC levels N3bn fraud charge against ex-Gov Aliyu, PDP candidate Nasko
Justice Olatoregun, subsequently granted their prayers to withdraw their respective applications.
This means that Mrs Jonathan now has unhindered access to her bank account.
Based on an ex parte application by the anti-graft agency last year, Justice Olatoregun had ordered that multiple accounts linked with Mrs Jonathan be temporarily frozen pending the outcome of the case before the court.
An operative of the EFCC Abdulahi Tukur, had told the judge that the funds retained in the said accounts were suspected proceeds of crime and needed to be investigated, adding that it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.
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seyi jelili
April 25, 2017 at 7:04 pm
Nigeria is place where the rich and the influential gets all they want at all cost. Efcc has proven themselves useless as a woman defeated them.
Anita Kingsley
April 25, 2017 at 7:49 pm
This isn’t about the gender, the EFCC is generally useless, Jonathan defeated them because she did nothing wrong. Patience Jonathan should sue EFCC for character assassination.
Balarabe musa
April 25, 2017 at 9:28 pm
You don’t even know anything as your brain is daft. So those huge money are for her? How did she get them. Am sure you are a very indigent lady and yet you like people cheating on you. I pity you. The case is settled yet because I know it must be revisited subsequently
Agbor Chris
April 25, 2017 at 7:41 pm
This is a big shame on the EFCC, despite their noise and accusation that Patience Jonathan stole public funds, she ended up winning.
Animashaun Ayodeji
April 25, 2017 at 7:43 pm
This shows EFCC cannot be trusted, the agency isn’t credible at all. None of their reports can be trusted.
yanju omotodun
April 25, 2017 at 10:05 pm
I now fully support serap that any indicted corrupt persons should be taken to ICC and not Nigerian court anymore. We have no judiciary.
JOHNSON PETER
April 25, 2017 at 10:09 pm
Efcc is just chasing shadows Now. Sincerely Magu needs to be sacked. We need a neutral person
Nonso Ezeugo
April 26, 2017 at 3:05 am
Yes because i don’t see why his there and free criminals are been set free all because his a former president doesn’t mean he can not be punished and put behind bars