Court to hear EFCC’s application for final forfeiture of former first lady Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m, N2.4b on March 28

The Federal High Court in Lagos will on March 28 begin hearing an application seeking the final forfeiture of the sums of $5,781,173.55 and N2.4 billion linked to a former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

The date was fixed by Justice Tijjani Ringim fixed after ruling on the arguments canvassed by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and of the defendants.

The ex-parte application was filed by the anti-graft agency sometime in 2017 and the hearing commenced before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, also of the Federal High Court.

The judge, on April 26, 2017, granted an order temporarily forfeiting the monies found in bank accounts run by two firms, La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd, in Skye Bank and Ecobank.

According to the EFCC, the money belonged to the former first lady.

The interim order was affirmed by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The apex court directed the lower court to continue hearing the suit.

Following Olatoregun’s retirement from the Bench in 2019 before delivering judgment, the suit was re-assigned to Justice Obiozor with Mrs Jonathan and La Wari Furniture and Baths Ltd as defendants.

But before Justice Obiozor could preside over the matter, he was transferred to another jurisdiction of the court.

When the matter came up before the new judge yesterday, counsel to La Wari Furniture and Baths Limited, Dr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), leading Ige Asemudara, told the court that his client had two pending applications.

One of the applications was seeking to stay proceedings in the suit based on a pending appeal, while the second was for the matter to start denovo (afresh).

Mr. Sammie Somiari (SAN), who is counsel to Mrs. Jonathan, aligned himself with Ozekhome’s submission.

But EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), opposed them.

Oyedpo contended that the court’s business for the day was to hear the application for final forfeiture.

In a bench ruling, Justice Ringim upheld Oyedepo’s submissions.

By the parties’ agreement, the judge adjourned till March 28 for a hearing of the application for final forfeiture.

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