News

Patience Jonathan Stopped From Withdrawing Money By Skye Bank

Wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Ibifaka Jonathan has been stopped from withdrawing money from Skye Bank. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred Patience Jonathan from withdrawing money from a $5.9m account with Skye Bank, which was ordered to be unfrozen by a court.

We gathered that Patience Jonathan was recently barred from operating the $5m account after a Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, ordered that the restriction on the account be lifted.

Sources revealed to us that the EFCC was able to obtain a ‘stay of execution’, a court order obtained for the purpose of suspending the execution of a court judgment. We also gathered that shortly after the court ordered that the account be unfrozen, the EFCC quickly obtained a stay of execution in order to prevent her from having access to the money.

See also  Igodye Buys Mansion For Son

According to sources: “The EFCC communicated with the relevant authorities at Skye Bank that it was important that she wasn’t allowed to withdraw the money or else, the whole purpose of the freezing would have been defeated.”

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze the account.

You will recall that a Federal high court sitting in Lagos had in December last year ordered the freezing of multiple accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) suspected to be owned by Dame Patience Jonathan and also suspected to be proceeds of crime. One of the accounts in the former First Lady’s name contained specifically the sum of $5,316.66.

See also  A Demand For The Independence Of Rondel (Niger Delta) From Nigeria In 2018

The court while giving reasons as to why it ordered the accounts frozen said it was on the ground that the money is suspected to be proceeds of crime. EFCC boss Magu and Patience Jonathan The order of the court was sequel to a further and better affidavit in support of Ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Abdullahi Tukur, an investigating officer of EFCC and filed before the court by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo Iseoluwa.

As part of investigations into the alleged diversion, the anti-graft agency also launched an investigation on a former Special Adviser to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, leading to the agency’s freezing of four companies’ accounts in Skye Bank with a balance of $15,591,700.

See also  MTN Nigeria Shut Down

However, the ex-First Lady, through her solicitor, First Law Associates, later gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, 14 days with effect from September 18 to unfreeze her accounts and tender a public apology to her, maintaining that, “our Client is a law-abiding citizen who has never or at all been the subject of any criminal and/or financial investigation, whether at home or abroad. Accordingly, she has not been found guilty of any criminal conduct throughout a sparkling public service career spanning over 35 years.”