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Breaking: EFCC resumes $8.4 million money laundering case against Mrs Patience Jonathan
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday reopens money laundering allegation against the former first lady Mrs Patience Jonathan in a Lagos Federal High Court.
Justice T.G Ringim lf the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Monday June 28, 2021, adjourned till October 7, 2021 to hear a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seeking the final forfeiture of the $5.78million and N2.4billion linked to the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
The anti-graft agency has previously filed an application seeking Patience Jonathan’s forfeiture of a total of $8.4 million somiciled with Ecobank PLC and Skye Bank now Polaris Bank to the Federal government.
Following an ex-parte application by the EFCC, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had, on April 26, 2017, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money.
Dissatisfied with the order of the trial court, Jonathan alongside other respondents, LA Wari Furniture and Bathes, had first approached the Court of Appeal and subsequently the Supreme Court to set asise the order of the lower court. However, both the appellate court and the apex court affirmed the order of Justice Olatoregun.
Midway into the conclusion of hearing on the motion for the final forfeiture of the said sums, Justice Olatoregun retired from the Bench in 2019. Consequently, the Chief Judge of the Federal High court re-assigned the matter to Justice Chuka Obiozor for hearing.
Justice Obiozor, however, could not hear the case before his transfer to the Federal High Court, Benin , Edo State. At the resumed hearing of the matter today, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, narrated to Justice Ringim how far the matter had gone.
Oyedepo said: “This matter is a non-conviction suit instituted before your learned brother, Justice Olatoregun now retired, where we prayed for the final forfeiture of the sum of $5,781,173.55, warehoused in Skye Bank Plc and N2,421,953,502.78, property of LA Wari Furniture and Bathes in Ecobank Plc.
“It was instituted and an interim order was granted on April 24, 2017, upon which it went up to Supreme Court and an application for its final forfeiture was moved. But the trial judge didn’t deliver the judgment before retiring. It was upon that fact that the file was transferred to the registry, where it was re-assigned to the former judge and subsequently your Lordship.”
Counsel to Patience Jonathan, Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, and Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, also informed the judge that the case was adjourned for mention because it was coming up for the first time before him.
Counsel to the companies, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, therefore, urged the court to adjourn the case on the premise that it was starting afresh and that he intended to file an application challenging the constitutionality of the entire proceedings.
He prayed the court for a long adjournment to enable him file the said application.
In his response, Oyedepo opposed the application and prayed the court not to grant same, because, according to him, there is a procedure enshrined in Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, which the EFCC had complied with except the last step, which is a motion for final forfeiture.
Oyedepo, therefore, invited the judge to look at the proceedings of February 17, 2021, where the former judge adjourned hearing of the motion for final forfeiture till April 13, which could not be held because of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) strike.
He also prayed that should the court be inclined to grant an adjournment, it should be for the motion of final forfeiture.
In a bench ruling, Justice Ringim held that a proceedings of this nature is a special one and cannot be truncated by any application. He said: “In my humble opinion, there is a procedure to follow in this type of application, which cannot be truncated.
“The court cannot adjourn the matter because of an application, which is yet to be filed. However, due to the nature of the application, as hinted by the second respondent, the court will not shut the application out. This court will adjourn for the hearing of the motion for final forfeiture that is pending.”
“Consequently, the second respondent is, hereby, ordered to file the application, if any, within 14 days from today, and the plaintiff will have one week to respond.It will be heard alongside the motion for final forfeiture.”
The Nigerian Council of Legal Education, the academic institute training lawyers before mobilizing for Call to the Bar said, the 2024 Bar Part results would be release any time soon.
The assurance came amid tension by the students who wrote the examination in November and are awaiting release of the results to determine if they have cleared or have to resit papers.
In a memo released and signed by the School management on Friday 28th March, 2025, the attention of candidates and the public was drawn to the fact that the Council has been working on the results and has progressed into a phase where the results will be released soon.
Part of the memo sighted by CAPITAL POST in Abuja said: Candidates who wrote the November 2024 Bar Final Examinations and the general public are hereby notified that the conventional processes leading to the publication of the results after approval by the Council of Legal Education are almost concluded.
“Candidates and the general public are assured that the results will be released shortly.
“The date for the Call to the Bar will be announced as soon as it is approved by the honourable Body of Benchers”, it concluded.
The Northern Senators Forum has expressed its sadness over the lynching of travelers in Uromi, Edo State, saying that they were taken aback over the gruesome killing of innocent Nigerians because of the zone where the victims came from.
The Forum was reacting to the attack that led to death of individuals on 27th March, 2025 while travelling to the Northern part of the country after they were tragically stereotyped as Fulani kidnappers and brutally murdered in a despicable manner.
The Forum in a statement issued by its Chairman, Abdulaziz Yar’adua strongly condemn the killing and described it as a heinous act which must be investigated with the culprits brought to book.
It read: “We strongly condemn this heinous act, which is a clear violation of the fundamental human rights of the victims. We urge the Edo State Government to take immediate action to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of this gruesome murder.
“We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the police and other security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, with a view to arresting the culprits.
“This swift action demonstrates the government’s commitment to upholding justice and protecting the rights of all citizens.
“As stated in Section 41 of the Nigerian Constitution, every citizen has the right to freedom of movement and residence throughout the country. No citizen can be expelled from or refused entry into Nigeria. We must uphold these fundamental principles and ensure that all citizens are treated with dignity and respect.
“We call on the Edo State Government, the security agencies, and all stakeholders to work together to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. We must promote a culture of tolerance, understanding, and peaceful coexistence among all Nigerians.”
The Ex-Head of Service of Rivers State, George Nwaeke has revealed how the embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara ordered bombing of the State House of Assembly complex in 2023 to avoid impeachment moves by legislators loyal to Chief Nyesom Wike.
The governor who was suspended from office in the heat of crisis rocking the State however, swiftly denied the allegation and urged the public to disregard it.
The former HoS who resigned from office recently gave the revelation during a press briefing on Friday in Port Harcourt, adding that bag of money was allegedly handed over to the former House of Assembly leader, Edison Ehie, who later became Fubara’s Chief of Staff to attack the Assembly complex located along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
He said, “First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the Assembly to avert his impeachment. That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke.
“I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell the people of Rivers State today that the House of Assembly Complex on Moscow Road was deliberately brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. I challenge him to an open confrontation, and I will provide more details.
“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I knew the power of a sitting governor. He knew that I was aware of the whole plan and that I was uncomfortable with the unconscionable act and his deliberate posture of innocence.
“Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members. If not for the press conference held there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders, and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.
“I realised that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because, weeks later, he personally told me that if he had known earlier, he would have pulled down their hall before targeting the residential quarters of the Assembly. He didn’t realise they had such a beautiful hall where they are now holding their sittings.
“I was shocked and asked myself: how could a man who wants to lead his people be destroying state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight?”
Nwaeke stated that he resigned voluntarily, countering speculations that he was sacked or pressured to leave.
“With the load of misinformation in print and electronic media, I have chosen to set the record straight.
“I was not sacked, nor was I pressured to resign; I did it willingly from the depth of my heart,” he clarified.
Nwaeke further alleged that another attempt was made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members but was thwarted by a press conference held by Rivers youths, elders, and National Assembly members.
According to him, Fubara had openly expressed a desire to demolish more state property, raising concerns about his leadership style.
He also claimed that Fubara had made comments about using the Ijaw people to influence Nigeria’s presidency, referencing control over oil pipelines and potential disruptions.
Reacting, Fubara denied the allegations levelled against him, asking Nigerians to disregard them.
The governor described Nwaeke’s allegations as “laughable” in a statement he signed on Friday.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President,” he said.
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