A Federal High Court, in Lagos, Thursday, struck out a suit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seeking to compel Patience Jonathan and six others to forfeit to the Federal Government, the sum of $5, 316. 66, domiciled in Skye Bank Plc.
The court struck out the suit at the instance of the EFCC, which had applied to strike out the suit.
Other beneficiaries of the ruling are five companies, which had a total sum of N7, 418, 829, 290.94 billion and one Esther Oba, who is said to have $429, 381.87 million. The companies are: Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Aribawa Arura Reachout Foundation, and Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited and Mabel Resort Limited.
The monies were said to be kept in six different commercial banks.
Trial judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, had sometime in December 2016, while granting EFCC’s ex-parte application, ordered that the account be frozen pending the conclusion of investigation on the money, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1342/16, between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Skye Bank Plc, the companies listed above and Esther Oba.
The judge, had also ordered the EFCC to file an undertaking as to damages if it turned out that the order was not to have been made.
In urging the court to temporarily freeze the account, the EFCC through one of its investigators, Mr. Abdulahi Tukura, in an affidavit, told the court that the former first lady used different companies and individuals to acquire the money.
In the said affidavit, Tukura, had averred that Dame Patience Jonathan’s money in Skye Bank account number 2110001712 with current balance of $5, 842, 316. 66 billion, is reasonably suspected to be proceed of crime.
However, at the resumed hearing of the matter, lawyer to other respondents, except Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Ige Asemudara, told the court he was duly informed by the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Mohammed Idris, who was equally in court, that the anti-graft agency had signified to discontinued the suit, by filing a notice of discontinuance.
Asemudara therefore, urged the court to strike out the suit.
Asemudara’s application was granted and Justice Olatoregun consequently struck out the suit.
