Mrs Jonathan cries to Dogara, says Police, NDLEA have joined EFCC to witch-hunt me, my family

Wife of a former president Mrs Patience Jonathan says that she and members of her family are being harassed and embarrassed by security and anti-graft agencies in the country.

She also alleged that the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has asked the British Government not to issue her with a visa.

The former First Lady stated these in a petition she wrote through her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) & Co. and addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

Alleging that she is being witch hunted by the EFCC, Mrs Jonathan further alleged that the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had joined in harassing and embarrassing her family.

According to her, the three agencies had at least searched her properties five times

She claimed that Magu wrote a letter to the British High Commission in Nigeria demanding that the commission ensure that its government in the UK did not issue her with a visa.

However, Patience said she had been given visa by the British Government, but that it was after the government took it upon itself to investigate her and find noting for which she must not be granted visa.

The petition through her lawyers read in part, “In February 2017, the EFCC through its acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, made a spurious report against our client to the United Kingdom authorities and other international bodies – all in a grand design to forestall the renewal of her visa and other travel documents.

“The allegations against our client by the EFCC were duly investigated by the UK authorities and other international bodies who found the reports baseless and thereupon issued the visa and other travel documents to our client.”

The former First Lady said that the Magu led anti-graft agency had gone after her relatives including her older brother, Chief Aseminaso Kalama, for no tangible reasons.

Among the relatives of Mrs Jonathan under investigation by the EFCC is Esther Oba, who the commission declared a person of interest, alleging she operates a bank account with $429,381.87 (N135,255,289.05) for the former First Lady.

Patience further alleged that “On November 3, 2016, the EFCC physically raided and attacked the premises of our client and her relations situated at 2 Igbeti Street, Maitama, Abuja, in the absence of the occupants of the house, carting away valuable items.

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“On November 30, 2016, the same premises were raided by the officials of the NDLEA with a lorry load of over 50 operatives under the guise of searching for drugs kept in the house. This raid was carried out in the absence of the occupants of the said house. Our client’s house was broken into and vandalised.

“On January 4, 2017, the EFCC again broke into the said house claiming to be looking for foreign currencies stashed therein. This was done in the absence of the occupants of the house and without any search warrant. The operatives raided the house and took away whatever they fancied,” she narrated.

Since March 2016, the EFCC has been on the trail of Patience. While the commission was yet to invite her for questioning, different accounts with billions of naira and properties allegedly linked to her have been either frozen or seized by the EFCC.

 

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