Court grants Patience Jonathan right to her frozen $5.8million

A Federal High court in Lagos has unfrozen the domiciliary account of former First lady, Patience Jonathan containing $5,842,316.66 at  Skye bank Plc.

NAN reports that, the order of the court was sequel to an application argued by her lawyer Mr. Adedayo Adedipe SAN,  leading seven other lawyers.

Adedipe urged the court to unfreeze the account on the ground that Patience Jonathan was not a party in the suit leading to the order made by the court.

Mr Adedipe while citing judicial  authorities contended that the order was an abuse of court process as the court has no jurisdiction to make an order against a party that is not a party in a suit filed before the court.

The EFCC which initiated the suit leading to the order made by the court freezing the account did not file any response to the application filed to discharge the order.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun upheld the submission of Mr. Adedipe and discharged the order freezing the account.

Sometime last year based on an application filed before the court by EFCC, the court  ordered that the account of the former First lady Dame Patience Jonathan containing  $5,842,316.66 domiciled with Skye bank should be frozen on the ground that,the money was suspected to be proceeds of crime.

Also affected by the said order are five companies and one Esther Oba said to be having a total sum of N7.4 billion in six different banks.

In a supporting affidavit sworn to by Abdulahi Tukur, an investigating officer of EFCC, he had averred that there was an urgent need for the court to direct a forfeiture of the sum.

He also averred that it was to prevent a dissipation of the funds sought to be forfeited.

Other companies affected by the order are Finchley Top Homes Ltd, Aribawa Aruera, Magel resort Ltd, AM -PM Global Network Ltd, Pansy Oil and Gas Ltd, and Pagmat oil and Gas Ltd.

Finchely Top Homes Ltd was said to have a current account credit balance of about N226 million and a fixed deposit with a balance of N1 billion.

While issuing the interim order, the court had ordered the EFCC to file an undertaking as to damages if the order is found not to have been made.