Dame Patience Jonathan loses appeal against EFCC decision to seize $6m found in her bank account

FORMER president Dr Goodluck Jonathan's wife Patience has lost her appeal against a high court decision authorising the federal government to seize a sum of $5.9m found in her Skye Bank account.

Last week, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Friday upheld the decision of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which ordered the interim forfeiture of a sum of $5.9m found in Dame Patience Jonathan’s account. In a lead judgment by Justice Mojeed Owoade, the court threw out the ex-president’s wife’s appeal, challenging the forfeiture of the funds to the federal government.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos had in April last year ordered the temporary forfeiture of the funds after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) argued that the money was reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of fraud. Apart from Dame Jonathan's personal account with $5.9m, the judge 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 an affidavit it filed before Justice Olatoregun, the EFCC said its investigation revealed that Dame Jonathan opened the Skye Bank account on February 7, 2013 and used it to warehouse the proceeds of crime. According to EFCC operative Musbahu Abubakar, the former first lady made several cash deposits in US 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 Dame Jonathan subsequently withdrew it down to $5.9m. Justice Olatoregun had then granted an interim forfeiture order and adjourned till May 22, 2017, for anyone interested in the funds to appear before her to show cause why they should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.